River Cottage

Rhubarb, I confess, is one of my very favourite fruits (though to be accurate, it’s actually a vegetable with an identity crisis). I never tire of finding new ways to enjoy it. This sweet and fragrant breakfast compote is a fairly recent discovery and I absolutely love it. Try it on eggy bread or perfect pancakes, or spooned on to your customised muesli or thick yoghurt. Alternatively, serve with vanilla ice cream for a pretty pud. From January till early April, you can buy elegant, slender stems of indoor-grown ‘forced’ rhubarb. This gradually gives way to the thicker, darker, more robust outdoorgrown crop. Either will work in this recipe.