In looking at what I like with rhubarb, I find a theme of strong, bold flavors: miso, horseradish, fermented black bean, and most recently, vadouvan. We macerated rhubarb with agave nectar, salt, and a healthy dose of vadouvan, a spice blend similar in nature to curry powder, though with large bits of fermented garlic and onion in the mix. Once the flavors married and the rhubarb leached out a fair amount of liquid, we cooked it down into a purée. The resulting purée captured the base essence of the vadouvan while keeping the essential sweet, sour, and vegetal tastes of the rhubarb. We then set about gelling the purée so that we could serve hot cubes or rectangles of just-set rhubarb-vadouvan. With the help of both high and low acyl gellan, we were able to set the purée such that it could be cut evenly and then heated in individual blocks. While today we paired the purée with a braised lamb shank and fresh onions, we have plans of using it with crispy-skinned trout as well as with foie gras or sweetbreads.
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