Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Bourbon Sauce

You know, my rule of thumb is that seasonal ingredients go together. Some ingredients span seasons but most of them are spring-summer/fall-winter oriented. So I don’t usually try to mix watermelon with cranberries. You know what I mean?

Bourbon is, to me, a winter ingredient. I say ingredient because I don’t drink hardly at all..and rarely hard liquor. Strawberries are spring and summer…the two should not mix….except…

Except this worked. I was amazed. The flavors just all blended into a mass of incredible. This went way beyond homey, comfort food and into the realms of kitchen nirvana. The tartness of the rhubarb and the tangy sweetness of strawberries turned into velvety marriage of flavors when the smooth, sweet bourbon sauce mixes in. I added some thickened, sweetened cream as well.

I loved this. It is perfect for last of the season berries and rhubarb here in the south, or a great way to use the fruit you have frozen. Did I mention is was super easy?

Try to get good, fresh rhubarb with a nice rosy color. There isn’t that much difference in taste but the eye appeal is better!

Don’t slice the rhubarb too thin. It will cook down too much and lose it’s character. Rhubarb without character is a terrible, terrible thing.

Always sweeten according to taste, no matter how much sugar the recipe calls for. Keep the filling tart with this though. You want to have a nice contrast to the sweet topping and sauce.

The crisp topping is made with brown butter. This gives an added complexity and depth of flavor.

These are some of the ingredients! Vanilla will be needed as well to just heighten the flavors a notch.

Can’t you almost smell it?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp with Hot Buttered Bourbon Sauce

Topping

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup  light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• Generous pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned, and allowed to cool to abotu 110F.

Filling

• 5 cups sliced rhubarb
• 2 cups halved strawberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• About 4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• Sweetened whipped cream, beat until just thickened

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 13×9 inch casserole and set aside.
2. Mix berries, rhubarb, and flour and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.
3. Pour into the casserole.
4. Mix the topping ingredients with fingers until crumbly.
5. Sprinkle thickly over the crisp. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, or until juices thicken and topping browns.
6. Just before crisp is ready to come from the oven put the bourbon and sugar in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened and reduced.
7. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
8. Add vanilla and blend. Taste to adjust flavors.
9. Serve the hot bourbon sauce over the warm crisp with a spoonful of the cream

serves about 8-10

images:maryeaudet