RHUBARB
500g/1lb 2oz rhubarb*
2tbsp dark brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 clementine
PANCAKES
150g/⅔ cup ricotta
50ml/3½tbsp milk
1 egg yolk
Zest and juice of 1 clementine
60g/scant ½ cup plain/all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
½tsp baking powder
1 egg white
Butter, for frying
* You’ll have more rhubarb than you need here, but I want to make sure it’s worth turning your oven on for roasting it. Eat leftovers with muesli, on toast with any ricotta you have left, alongside pieces of grilled mackerel, or on meringues with some softly whipped cream.
I eat a lot of rhubarb during spring – in England, the beautifully vibrant stems appear on the shelves and in markets in late winter, heralding the arrival of the warmer months. These light, sweet, zingy pancakes are a dream companion.
Serves 2
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/400F/gas 6. Slice the rhubarb into 4cm/1½in pieces and place in a single layer in a roasting dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and clementine zest and squeeze the clementine juice over the top. Cover with foil, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, and roast for a final 5 minutes.
2. To make the pancakes, mix the ricotta, milk, egg yolk, clementine zest and juice together in a bowl. Fold through the flour, salt, and the baking powder.
3. Beat the egg white to stiff peaks. Loosen the pancake batter by stirring a third of it through, then gently fold in the rest.
4. Warm half a teaspoon of butter in a frying pan, then drop in dollops of the batter (a generous tablespoon is a pretty good measure). Cook until you see bubbles on top, then flip the pancake over, and cook for a minute on the other side until golden brown.
5. Serve the pancakes with the rhubarb, and a spoonful of yoghurt or sour cream, if you like.