SWEET & SOUR RHUBARB SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

RHUBARB IS MOST FREQUENTLY used as a dessert, mostly because it needs sweetness to soften its tart flavor. But I imagine this homey barbecue-like sauce to be like a famous French recipe called saumon à l’oseille, salmon with sorrel, created by Jean and Pierre Troisgros in the early 1960s. That creation opened the door to using tart sorrel in a savory dish. In fact, rhubarb is related to sorrel, and I made this tart sauce to work as a luscious contrast to the crispy skin and meaty quality of a great farm-raised bird.

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup sherry vinegar

2 stalks rhubarb (about 6 ounces), chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ small onion, chopped

Pinch coarsely ground black pepper

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Salt

1 cup tomato pulp (fresh or canned)

Small pinch dried basil

Small pinch dried oregano

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Put the brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it’s caramelized, a few minutes. Add the vinegar (watch out for sputtering) and let it bubble for another minute. Add the rhubarb, garlic, onions, pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt and simmer until the vinegar is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, basil, and oregano and simmer until the rhubarb has softened and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard, sesame oil, and soy sauce. The sauce will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about 5 days.