Soft and delicious English rhubarb custard pudding to celebrate the season. A Nigella Lawson recipe. Sweet and tangy, light and refreshing.
Table of contents
Nigella's Rhubarb Custard
Nigella Lawson's delicious rhubarb custard is an English-style pudding or dessert.
Rhubarb time again!!!!!!!! So happy! I love this kind of seasonal product that makes one happy that either spring or autumn or whatever is there again: rhubarb, asparagus, and elderflower in spring or pumpkin in autumn, just wonderful.
I like anything made with this wonderful plant, so you will probably get a few more recipes posted here before the season is over. Have a look at this Blueberry Rhubarb Jam, this Simple Syrup, or this amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Bundt Cake! And learn What to Do with Rhubarb? (Bake, Cook, Preserve - a full article all about dealing with rhubarb.
This sweet and tart-baked rhubarb custard pudding is a recipe I found in Nigella Lawson's book “How To Eat.” I might have mentioned before how much I love this book. Not only the recipes but mostly the way it is written. I can actually read it like reading a novel. I never had that with any other cookbooks except for Nigella.
What do you need to make baked custard?
Rhubarb:
- You will need 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs. I love to make this baked pudding not only because it tastes so good but also because it uses a lot of the plant, and I always seem to have too much of it. And there is only so much jam I can make.
- You might want to learn How to Freeze Rhubarb as well; the frozen pieces can be used for this dessert.
Eggs:
- 4 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks.
- See below for Tips on using the leftover egg whites.
Vanilla:
- I only had vanilla extract this time.
- However, you can use a whole vanilla bean as well. Split it in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and place the seeds and the pod in the pot with the milk. Heat everything together, remove the pod, and continue with the recipe.
Other ingredients: granulated sugar, full-fat milk, water.
How to make rhubarb custard pudding?
- Prepare the stalks: Discard the leaves; they are poisonous! Wash the stalks and chop them into 3 cm/ 1.2 inches pieces.
- Cook: Place in a saucepan, and add water and sugar (1). Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes (2). Strain, but don't push through the strainer (3).
- Preheat the oven: 160 degrees Celsius/ 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make custard mixture: Beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork (1). Bring the milk to a boil, but don't let it boil. Slowly add to the eggs while beating continuously (2). Add cooked stalks and stir gently. (3) Pour mixture into baking dish.
- Waterbath baking: Place the baking dish into a larger baking tray, and pour boiling water into the larger tray to come around halfway up the baking dish containing the custard.
- Bake: 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the custard should be slightly quivering to the touch, but it should not be liquid. Remove from the water and let stand for a while before serving; it will continue setting while it stands.
Expert tips
- Milk: Heat the milk in a heat-proof jug; it will be easier to pour it into the egg mixture. Or heat it in a saucepan and transfer it to a jug for easy pouring.
- Egg whites: Don't waste those you don't need. Instead, freeze them in small freezer bags; they will keep them for a long time. Make a German Rhubarb Meringue Pie or a Romanian Rhubarb Meringue Cake.
Recipe FAQ
Nigella's rhubarb custard pudding is best served on the day you've baked it. It is delicious, either lukewarm or at room temperature. You can serve it with some ice cream on the side if you wish.
The leftovers keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days. Keep in an airtight container. The dessert is not suitable for freezing.
Other rhubarb puddings or desserts
Baked Rhubarb Custard
Equipment
- 1 Baking dish about 25x20 cm/ 10x8 inches
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g/ 3.5 oz/
- 2.2 lbs rhubarb 1 kg
- ½ cup (scant) water 100 ml/ 3.5 fl.oz
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 75 g/ 2.5 oz
- 2½ cups full-fat milk 600 ml/20 fl.oz
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare rhubarb: Clean and chop into small pieces, about 3 cm/ 1.2 inch. Place in a pot and add the water and 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup sugar. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve, but don't push through the strainer.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/ 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the custard: Beat the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract with a fork. Bring the milk to a boil, but don't let it boil (Note). Slowly add the milk to the egg mixture while beating with the fork. Add the rhubarb and stir gently. Pour everything into a baking dish.
- Waterbath: Place the baking dish with the custard into a larger baking tray and pour boiling water (from a kettle) into the larger tray to come halfway up the baking dish containing the custard.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is done when the top of the custard is quivering to the touch, but it is not liquid. Take the custard out of the water and let it stand for a while before serving; it will continue setting while it stands.
grace says
i obviously need to explore rhubarb more thoroughly! 🙂
miles says
What size baking dish, and how much vanilla as both are missing from the recipe? Thank you.
Adina says
Hi Miles, sorry about that and thank you for telling me. I've just added the missing information to the recipe card.
Angela says
What do you do with the water/sugar the rhubarb is cooked in does it just get poured down the drain and not used anywhere?
Adina says
Hi Angela. I discard the liquid.
Alicia says
@Angela, makes an amazing cocktail syrup
Barbara says
@Alicia, I made a quite delicious rhubarb cosmo with it...OK, if we are being honest, several rhubarb cosmos...just replaced the cranberry juice with the syrup.