I’m all about making compotes with seasonal fruit – and well, vegetables since rhubarb is technically a vegetable. Very tart in flavor, rhubarb requires a good amount of sweetness to balance the sour. Cooked with only sugar and a little water, the rhubarb bubbles down into a beautiful pink hue that’s very versatile at the table.
I serve this compote mixed into steel-cut oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, over pan-seared duck breasts and countless ways with dessert (a dollop on cheesecake, on top of a posset, a panna cotta – oh, and ice cream!). It pairs beautifully with rich and creamy foods.
Rhubarb was usually the first thing to pop up in my childhood backyard in Michigan and it was a sure sign wintery days were over. Buy lots of those crimson stalks when they appear in markets and freeze extra for later. Cut raw stalks into 1-inch pieces and store in freezer bags until ready to use.
Rhubarb Compote
makes about 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut in to 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a medium saucepan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam that rises to the top, until rhubarb is soft and compote is nice and thick, about 15 minutes. Allow compote to cool to room temperature before storing. Compote lasts 3 days in the refrigerator.