Posted on 4th May 2016
Rhubarb Martini
35ml vodka
50ml fresh rhubarb juice
20ml pink ginger cordial
Few drops of vanilla bitters
6 mint leaves (optional)
Ice
Place all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, give a good shake and strain into a martini glass. Add a thin strip of rhubarb to garnish – if you take a few long thin peelings from a rhubarb stalk and leave in iced water they will curl up prettily.
Rhubarb, Rose and Yoghurt Panna Cotta
First make the Rhubarb Jelly
300ml rhubarb juice
50ml water
50g sugar
3 leaves gelatin, soaked in cold water
Juice enough fresh rhubarb stalks in a juicer to make 300ml.
Heat the water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the gelatin leaves from the cold water and dissolve in the sugar syrup, stir in the rhubarb juice. Pour into individual glasses and chill – if you can place the glasses at an angle while the jelly sets it will help to get the effect in the photo. When the jelly is set, make the panna cotta.
Then make the Yoghurt and Rosewater Panna Cotta
250ml Greek yoghurt
200ml cream
40g icing sugar
10ml rosewater
1.5 leaves gelatin
Soak the gelatin in cold water until softened. Heat 100mls of the cream with the icing sugar, remove the gelatin from the water, squeeze and stir into the warm cream.
Put the warm cream, yoghurt, rosewater and the rest of the cream into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Tip the glasses of jelly the other way and carefully pour over the cream mixture, chill until set.
Once the panna cotta is set as well you can serve, adding some or all of the garnishes below –
Crumbled Hobnobs
Crystalised rose petals – brush petals with egg white and dust with caster sugar
Borage flowers
Raspberries
Freeze dried raspberries
Oven roasted rhubarb – lay stalks or pieces of rhubarb on an oven tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle with caster sugar and cover with foil. Place in a preheated oven (160C) for 5 – 10 minutes, the rhubarb should be al dente, and not mushy
or a finger of vanilla shortbread
To make the Vanilla Shortbread
Preheat oven to 160C
100g vanilla sugar
200g unsalted butter
300g plain flour
Rub all of the ingredients together until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Bring into a ball and roll out flat. Chill for half an hour then cut into fingers. Bake on an oven tray lined with baking paper for about 12 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar when you take them out of the oven. Leave to cool.