2 pounds rhubarb
1 pound sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter
Thin slices of white bread
Golden custard sauce or whipped cream

Wash and trim young rhubarb stalks, and cut into 1-inch segments. Combine rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and butter in thick-bottomed saucepan; bring gently to a boil, stirring continuously; lower heat and simmer, stirring all the while, for about 5 minutes, or until rhubarb becomes soft, but still keeps its identity. Don’t let stalks disintegrate entirely; they must remain a trifle firm to be at their best. (Rhubarb varies enormously in flavour when cooked; so add a little more sugar (if too tart, a little more lemon juice if too sweet)

Lightly butter a soufflé dish; trim crusts from bread; cut each slice in half lengthwise and line sides of soufflé dish with bread. Cut enough slender triangles of bread to cover bottom of dish; and trim off standing bread slices at top edge of dish.

Fill dish with rhubarb mixture, reserving a little of the juices. Cut additional bread triangles to cover pudding. Chill in refrigerator overnight to firm pudding.

Just before serving, turn pudding out on a serving dish. POur over reserved rhubarb juices. Serve with a golden custard sauce or whipped cream. Serves 4 to 6.

---

Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., 36 Park Street, London W1 ©️Robert Carrier 1968