Rhubarb with star anise, ginger, orange and labneh

Telegraph

26-05-2025

Overview
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Serves
4 -6
Ingredients
700g rhubarb (get stalks that are roughly the same thickness)
65g granulated sugar
100g honey
200ml blood orange juice
2 broad strips of orange zest
2 slices of root ginger, about the thickness of a pound coin
1 star anise
pistachios, to serve
For the labneh
400g Greek yoghurt
1½ tbsp icing sugar
pinch of cinnamon
Method
Step
For the labneh, pour off the liquid sitting on top of 400g Greek yoghurt
Step
Mix in 1½ tbsp icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon then tip the 400g Greek yoghurt into some muslin. Set this in a sieve, tie the muslin to form a bag and put it in the fridge. Leave for about 12 hours or so, squeezing the muslin bag every so often.
Step
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Trim the bases and tops of 700g rhubarb stalks. Cut into 3cm lengths and put into a large ovenproof dish in which they can lie – more or less - in a single layer.
Step
Put the 65g granulated sugar, 100g honey, 200ml blood orange juice, 100ml water, 2 broad strips of orange zest, 2 slices of root ginger and 1 star anise into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve – about 5 minutes.
Step
Pour over the rhubarb and cover the dish tightly with two layers of foil. Bake for 20 minutes for medium stalks; the cooking time depends very much on the thickness of the stalks, so check after 15 minutes and cook for longer if necessary. The rhubarb should be tender but not collapsing. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and put it on a flat dish. This will ensure that the rhubarb doesn't keep cooking.