A Unique Recipe for This Lovely Spring “Vegetable”
RHUBARB! Doesn’t this lovely plant bring back pleasant childhood memories? When you were a child, did you ever break off a stalk and try eating it raw and sugarless? This was an annual spring challenge with the kids in our neighborhood. We also had fun coming up for uses of those big green leaves—like making a stick fort and creating a green roof by layering the leaves atop each other. (Life was a lot less complicated back in the day.)
Martha Stewart was talking about rhubarb memories too, and mentioned that it was one of her staff’s favorites (they call themselves rhubarb connoisseurs). When pressed for specific reasons for this love, they cite how this rosy vegetable can be used for both desserts and savory dishes. “It’s pretty, it’s healthy, it’s versatile, and it’s dang delicious!”
Rhubarb season is upon us now, so Martha suggests we make the most of it while it's at its peak. As is her practice, when she offers a suggestion, she also provides some ideas on how to follow through.
First she explains that you store it by wrapping the stalks in plastic, and refrigerating (for up to a week). You can also freeze it to enjoy later. When I freeze it, I cut it in small pieces first. It’s so fun to retrieve a plastic freezer bag of it on a cold winter morning and start a rhubarb compote cooking. Yummo!
Also, another awesome aspect of rhubarb is how good it is for us. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients, and trace elements. Heck of a deal!
Compotes, pie filling, these are more common rhubarb uses. But have you ever heard of roasting a chicken with rhubarb? (Let me know in the comments below—I’m curious as to whether or not I’m the only one out there that isn’t acquainted with this unique entree.)
I’ll close with Martha’s recipe for her take on this idea, and thank her for sharing. Martha says, “Sautéed with an aromatic blend of turmeric, cumin, garlic, onion, and ginger, rhubarb becomes a delicious, savory-leaning sauce. The mixture is then combined with a little broth and used as a simmer sauce for bonesless, skinless chicken breasts, imparting flavor to every bite.” This is a unique way to make the most of our rhubarb while it’s at its peak!
4 small boneless chicken breasts halves, patted dry (about 1 ½ pounds)
Kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions (from 1 large onion or 2 small)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 to 5 cloves)
4 teaspoons peeled, minced ginger root (from 2-inch piece)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces rhubarb halved if thick, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus leaves for serving
cooked rice or flatbread, for serving
Directions:
Add Recipe to Cook'n
Martha Stewart was talking about rhubarb memories too, and mentioned that it was one of her staff’s favorites (they call themselves rhubarb connoisseurs). When pressed for specific reasons for this love, they cite how this rosy vegetable can be used for both desserts and savory dishes. “It’s pretty, it’s healthy, it’s versatile, and it’s dang delicious!”
Rhubarb season is upon us now, so Martha suggests we make the most of it while it's at its peak. As is her practice, when she offers a suggestion, she also provides some ideas on how to follow through.
First she explains that you store it by wrapping the stalks in plastic, and refrigerating (for up to a week). You can also freeze it to enjoy later. When I freeze it, I cut it in small pieces first. It’s so fun to retrieve a plastic freezer bag of it on a cold winter morning and start a rhubarb compote cooking. Yummo!
Also, another awesome aspect of rhubarb is how good it is for us. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients, and trace elements. Heck of a deal!
Compotes, pie filling, these are more common rhubarb uses. But have you ever heard of roasting a chicken with rhubarb? (Let me know in the comments below—I’m curious as to whether or not I’m the only one out there that isn’t acquainted with this unique entree.)
I’ll close with Martha’s recipe for her take on this idea, and thank her for sharing. Martha says, “Sautéed with an aromatic blend of turmeric, cumin, garlic, onion, and ginger, rhubarb becomes a delicious, savory-leaning sauce. The mixture is then combined with a little broth and used as a simmer sauce for bonesless, skinless chicken breasts, imparting flavor to every bite.” This is a unique way to make the most of our rhubarb while it’s at its peak!
Pan Roasted Chicken With Rhubarb
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 small boneless chicken breasts halves, patted dry (about 1 ½ pounds)
Kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced onions (from 1 large onion or 2 small)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 to 5 cloves)
4 teaspoons peeled, minced ginger root (from 2-inch piece)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces rhubarb halved if thick, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus leaves for serving
cooked rice or flatbread, for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour, tapping off excess. Heat a large oven proof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil. Place chicken in skillet, skinned side down and cook until browned and easily releases from pan, about 4 minutes; flip and brown second side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, garlic, and ginger to pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric, and sugar and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in broth and rhubarb and bring to a boil on top of stove.
Nestle chicken back into pan. Transfer to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If rhubarb is still underdone, remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil and return pan to oven until rhubarb is just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (Be careful, it's easy to overcook rhubarb and you don't want it to completely fall apart.) Stir in cilantro, then return chicken to pan, turning to coat in sauce. Serve chicken and sauce over rice or with flatbread, sprinkled with more cilantro.
COOK’S NOTES
Shop for chicken breasts that are on the smaller side for this recipe; if working with large, you can halve on the diagonal and remove the smaller, pointed ends first so they don't overcook.
Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, garlic, and ginger to pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cumin, turmeric, and sugar and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in broth and rhubarb and bring to a boil on top of stove.
Nestle chicken back into pan. Transfer to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If rhubarb is still underdone, remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil and return pan to oven until rhubarb is just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (Be careful, it's easy to overcook rhubarb and you don't want it to completely fall apart.) Stir in cilantro, then return chicken to pan, turning to coat in sauce. Serve chicken and sauce over rice or with flatbread, sprinkled with more cilantro.
COOK’S NOTES
Shop for chicken breasts that are on the smaller side for this recipe; if working with large, you can halve on the diagonal and remove the smaller, pointed ends first so they don't overcook.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
