Recipe Rhubarb, Tahini, and Plum Crumble

An ode to my very first experience with rhubarb: the Food for Thought crumble. Only, as expected, the cooks at the legendary West End restaurant never used tahini in their version. How did this condiment find its way into the humble crumble? It happened after Eyal Shani, one of my favorite Israeli chefs, made the connection. “Even lemon is unable to connect with tahini as well as rhubarb,” he wrote in one of his typically poetic food columns, which encouraged me to try injecting this Middle Eastern staple into one of the most quintessential English puddings. The result is a gooier crumble, with a texture that resembles a flapjack. Serve with a warming splash of oat cream and a side of chutzpah.

Serves: 4

INGRÉDIENTS

1. 250g plums, quartered and pitted
2. 450g rhubarb, cut into pieces about 2-3cm each (save the leaves and golden edge of the crown for dyeing)
3. 80g/2¾oz/⅓ cup golden caster sugar
4. ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
5. ½ tsp orange blossom water
6. ½ tsp ground nutmeg
7. 125g/4¼oz/1¼ cups rolled oats
8. 100g/3½oz/1 cup almonds ground
9. 60g/2oz/¼ cup raw tahini
10. zest and juice of half a lime
11. oat cream or vegan vanilla ice cream, to serve

PRÉPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark.
2. Place the plums and rhubarb in a pie dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the orange blossom water.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining sugar and cinnamon with the nutmeg, oats, and almond flour. Add the tahini, lime zest, and lime juice to the dry ingredients. Using your hands, rub the wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture is well blended and resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Spread the crumble over the fruit mixture and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is golden and crisp.
5. Serve with oat cream or vegan ice cream.