Rhubarb with Earl Grey Tea, Cardamom, and Orange Zest

By darusts

Ingredients

• 3 cups roughly chopped (1-inch pieces) rhubarb, from about 6 long thin ribs (just under 1 lb)
• 3 cups roughly chopped (1-inch pieces) Braeburn apple, from 2 peeled apples
• Juice of 1 small Meyer lemon
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
• Seeds of one green cardamom pod crushed well with mortar and pestle
• 2 bags of Earl Grey tea steeped in 3/4 cup just-boiled water for 3 minutes and then cooled
• Zest of 2 Valencia oranges
• Vanilla ice cream (!)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from food52.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make sure to let the tea steep for a full 3 minutes so it really infuses.

No reason to use anything other than your hands to mix everything all together. We tossed the ingredients in a large bowl before transferring them to the baking dish, but it's up to you.



Sweet cool cream on warm chunks of rhubarb and apple infused with Earl Grey tea, cardamom, and orange...mmm. This recipe came after experimenting with several variations on this theme. I've decreased and increased the sweetness. Dark brown sugar was substituted for white and then white for dark. Vanilla was added and then subtracted. I tried a version with star anise and one with juniper berries before settling on Earl Grey tea, cardamom, and orange zest. This is, without a doubt, my favorite so far.

Rhubarb and Earl Grey are a natural pairing, and one best left relatively unadorned. Chez danisse tosses tart chunks of rhubarb with pieces of apple, a little sugar, a pinch of cardamom, some Meyer lemon juice and some orange zest before adding the tea and gently softening everything in a 350 degree oven. The fruit mellows and grows tender without falling apart, and it emerges from the oven swimming in a subtle, tea-infused broth, which thickens into a light syrup as it cools. If you want this less juicy, cut back to 1/2 cup tea -- we liked the subtlety of these proportions, especially with the vanilla ice cream, which is a must. - A&M

2 bags of Earl Grey tea steeped in 3/4 cup just-boiled water for 3 minutes and then cooled

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chopped rhubarb and apple in a medium casserole dish or oven-safe pot.

Add remaining ingredients (retaining the zest of one orange and vanilla ice cream for later) and gently toss. I advise tasting one chunk of apple and one chunk of rhubarb at this stage. They will both be nicely sugar-coated and crisp.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir (it will smell so good). Bake an additional 15 minutes. Fruit should be tender and kitchen should smell even better than it did the first time you opened the oven door.

I let this batch cool slightly (5-10 minutes), spooned some into a bowl, and topped it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I ate the rhubarb as the ice cream melted on top. Superb! My husband had fallen asleep at this point (my experimenting went a little late), but I woke him and gave him a bite. He liked it too. He even held his eyes open for a couple additional tastes. I went to sleep satisfied.