Food

Chef Jonathan Collins pairs sweet custard with sour rhubarb for a match made in heaven and the perfect Easter dessert.

Ingredients

3 (cups) fresh or frozen rhubarb, peeled, diced
3 (tabelsoon) cherry brandy
1 (cup) brown sugar
6 large egg yolks
750 (millilitres) 35% cream
100 (grams) white sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 (tablespoon) unsalted butter
pinch fine sea salt
garnish whipped cream, icing sugar and berries

Preparation

 

1. Heat butter in a heavy bottom sauté pan, add rhubarb and salt, sauté until golden brown
2. Add sugar to rhubarb, deglaze pan with brandy, remove from heat, reserve and cool
3. Combine cream and vanilla in heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat
4. Gently simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the cream with vanilla flavour 
and fragrance
5. Separate egg yolks from the whites; combine the yolks with
 sugar mixing until blonde in colour
6. Combine the hot liquid with the egg/sugar mixture slowly, tempering the eggs to prevent curdling
7. Return the mixture to the saucepan stirring gently over medium heat for 5 minutes to thicken
8. When the cream coats the back of a wooden spoon and a pass of your finger across the spoon holds
9. Spoon rhubarb and cherries into individual ramekins, cover with crème anglaise
10. Place ramekins in a high-sided baking tray, fill with hot water half way up the sides of ramekins
11. Bake covered with aluminum foil at 175°C (325°F) for 25-30 minutes or until slightly firm
12. Serve warm or chilled with dusting of confectioner’s sugar

Yield: 6-8