Rhubarb, raspberry and plum crumble

Dominic Franks creates a delicious seasonal dessert with an added twist, perfect to share on Valentine’s Day.

There’s a short window in late January/early February when the worlds of fresh tangy fruits collide in seasonal excellence and this rhubarb, raspberry and plum crumble is the lovechild of that moment. If you ask me, it’s a perfect way to celebrate St Valentine’s Day!

Not only is my crumble packed with wonderfully tart local rhubarb; it also has some glorious blood orange juice and zest. The combination is so perfect – and then, when also combined with raspberries, the whole thing becomes a sherbet lover’s dream.

I’m also adding a dash of Campari, as I think the bitters in the liquor really work well here.

The tartness is offset by the wonderful sweetness of the crumble topping, for which I’ve used four types of flour, which I think makes for a wonderfully crumblier crumble.

METHOD:
• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (fan)
• I’m using a 20cm x 10cm ceramic oval oven-proof dish, but any oven-proof dish would work, just make sure it’s deep enough for a nice thick layer of crumble topping.
• In a large bowl add your large chunks of rhubarb along with the raspberries and plums. Pour in a splash of Campari (if using) then stir in the sugar, honey, juice and zest of the blood orange and ground ginger. Pour this into the bottom of your dish.
• In another bowl, place all the crumble ingredients and rub together with your fingertips until it’s all combined. Pour this topping onto the rhubarb and press down firmly. Don’t worry if there are a few gaps in the corners, you want the filling to bubble through a little.
• Bake for 25 mins, or until the top is beginning to turn a light golden colour. Allow it to cool by half and then serve with lashings of custard or cream.

Top Tip: For a ‘crumblier’ topping, don’t rub the butter into the topping ingredients too finely. Keep it lumpy and then fork the top of the crumble before it goes into the oven.

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