This comforting dessert is a summer classic. We use home grown rhubarb to make this easy recipe but rhubarb can also be found at many grocery stores and farmers markets from late spring to early summer.
1mandarin orange(either clementine or tangerine will work!)
1tablespoonbutter, cut into small pieces
1/4teaspoon sea salt
1/4teaspoonblack pepper
1/2cuplight brown sugar
1/2cupflour
Crumble
3/4cupoats
1-1/4cuplight brown sugar
1/2cupflour
1/2cupsliced almonds
1teaspoonsea salt
7tablespoonsbutter, cut into small cubes and kept very cold
Instructions
Filling
Preheat oven to 375F
Place the diced rhubarb into a bowl, then zest mandarin into the bowl. Peel the mandarin and chop the segments.
Add the mandarin, butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar and flour to the rhubarb and toss to combine. Set aside.
Crumble
In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, almonds, flour, and salt then mix thoroughly.
Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until a pea sized crumble forms.
Place the filling in a 9 inch pie plate then top with crumble.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, then let cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
Smaller, newer rhubarb stalks are more tender. However, I've never purchased rhubarb at the grocery store that wasn't amazingly tender despite the size. However my homegrown rhubarb can be a little chewy later in the season.
Although red rhubarb is more popular, you can use the green parts too. They taste the same!
You don't need to peel the rhubarb despite many old recipes calling for this method.
I like to bake my rhubarb crisp until the rhubarb has nearly cooked to mush..this takes about 40 minutes. However, many people like their rhubarb as pictured here with a little tooth. That only takes about 30-35 minutes of baking.
Rhubarb crisp can be stored on the counter for a short amount of time, but it will keep 3 to 5 days if stored in the refrigerator. It also reheats very well in a toaster oven!
Do not eat the leaves which contain oxalic acid and are poisonous.
Although you can make the crisp with a food processor, I prefer to make this recipe the old fashioned way (like I do with my fool proof pie crust) by hand with a pastry cutter. It's less dishes to wash!
I keep seeing the question "can I use frozen rhubarb" on Google. I've never encountered it frozen in a store so I'm not sure where this frozen rhubarb is coming from. But like any other fruit/veggie, frozen rhubarb would be much more watery than fresh. Maybe add a little more flour? But in general, I suggest using fresh fruit for baking due to the moisture issue.
On that subject, I can imagine an overzealous gardener picking all their fresh rhubarb and freezing it for later. You can kill a rhubarb plant by over picking the stalks! This is especially true of young plants.