, How to Video, Step by step

Rhubarb and Apple Oat Crumble

A classic rhubarb and apple crumble with delicious autumnal seasonal ingredients that is great to share.

Mark Stower, Director of Food and Service

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Step 1

For the filling - Slice the rhubarb into 1-inch lengths, Prepare the apples by peeling, remove the core and cutting into chunks.
Step 2

Place the 25g butter into a saucepan, over a medium heat, allow to melt, now add the rhubarb, apples and caster sugar and a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook for 8-10 minutes, to soften the fruit.
Step 3

Spoon the fruit into an ovenproof dish, deep enough to allow for the crumble mix to be added on top.
Step 4

Make the crumble topping, by adding the flour into a large mixing bowl, along with the diced, cold butter. With the tips of your fingers, rub together until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the granulated sugar, oats and combine.
Step 5

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the fruit mixture and bake in a pre-heated oven, at 180˚C/Gas 4 for 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Step 6

Serve with custard.

Although we usually eat rhubarb as a fruit in desserts, botanically it is classified as a vegetable because it does not produce seeds – the long stems are known as ‘petioles’.
Rhubarb was first eaten as a food in England in the 17th century but was used in traditional medicines for thousands of years – especially as a purgative!
Rhubarb was therefore valuable as a trading commodity in Europe in Medieval times, when the roots were transported from Asia together with jewels and silks.
The rhubarb gives a lovely pink colour to the fruit in this dish – this comes from the anthocyanins which are part of the large group of plant chemicals known as polyphenols and which also have a useful role nutritionally because they can act as protective antioxidants in the body.
The apples are also rich in other polyphenols, including one called quercetin. However, in both apples and onions, more quercetin is found in or near the peel than in the inner flesh.
Mark’s delicious crumble provides around 2 portions of your 5 A Day in one serving.

DR JULIET GRAY, NUTRITIONIST