Rhubarb always makes me feel rather cheery. Not just the forced rhubarb that celebrates the start of the year – impossibly pink, when all else is grey – but also the field rhubarb that has just come into season. It may be more muted in colour than its hot pink cousin, but still, it’s a real marker of the move from winter into spring. Today’s recipes reflect that celebration, complete with the obligatory booze-filled trifle in tow. Mackerel, rhubarb and black pepper ceviche (pictured top) Ceviche may seem like a dish you’d have in a restaurant, rather than make at home, but do give this a try. It may sound a bit cheffy, but it’s not at all – the only requirement is spanking-fresh mackerel. Feel free to use sea bass or sea bream instead. Prep 15 min Macerate 15 min Cure 25 min Cook 20 min Serves 4 as a starter 130g rhubarb (about 2 stems), trimmed and cut diagonally into 1cm-wide pieces 25g caster sugar 2 lemons – 1 left whole, the other finely shaved to get 4 strips of zest, then juiced to get 1 tbsp 1 orange – finely shaved to get 5 strips of zest, then juiced to get 2 tsp juice 2 fresh mackerel fillets (240g), skinned and pin boned 15g table salt, plus extra to macerate 1 small shallot, peeled and cut into very thin rounds (30g) 5g parsley leaves, roughly chopped 60ml olive oil 2 dried hibiscus leaves, or ⅛ teaspoon leaves from 1 hibiscus teabag (optional) Flaked sea salt and black pepper Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the rhubarb in a small baking dish with 20g sugar, the citrus zest and a pinch of salt, toss gently, spread out and leave to macerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pat dry the mackerel and lay it on a plate. In a small bowl, mix the salt and remaining 5g sugar, sprinkle evenly over the flesh of the fish, then refrigerate, uncovered, for 25 minutes, to cure gently; don’t leave it any longer, or the fish will over-cure. Add 150ml water to the rhubarb, stir gently, then cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the rhubarb is just cooked through but still has a slight bite. Remove, uncover and leave to cool to room temperature. Gently lift out the rhubarb pieces, leaving the liquid in the dish, then transfer to a large bowl. Strain the liquid into a bowl or jug (you’ll have about 120ml), then discard the citrus zest. Stir the lemon and orange juice into the liquid bowl – this is your dressing. Gently wash the salt-sugar mixture off the cured mackerel with cold water, then pat the fish dry and cut into ½cm-thick pieces. Put the fish in a shallow bowl, pour over 40ml of the dressing and leave to marinate for 10 minutes, and up to 20. Drain and discard the dressing. Meanwhile, top and tail the remaining lemon, then use a small, sharp knife to remove the skin and pith. Cut between the membranes to release the individual segments, then chop these into thirds. Add the lemon pieces to the rhubarb bowl with the drained mackerel, shallot, parsley, an eighth of a teaspoon of flaked salt and a good grind of pepper, and toss gently to combine. To serve, divide the mackerel mixture between four small lipped plates. Spoon two tablespoons of dressing over each serving (save any excess for another use; it goes really well with tequila, incidentally), then spoon a tablespoon of oil over each portion. Finely grate the hibiscus leaves, if using, on top and serve. UK readers: click to buy these ingredients from Ocado The Guardian aims to publish recipes for sustainable fish. Check ratings in your region: UK; Australia; US. Rhubarb and apple crumble with baharat custard This custard is super-special and well worth making, because it brings a welcome warmth to the crumble. If you can’t get baharat, a mixture of ground cinnamon, cardamom and mixed spice will do the trick. Prep 20 min Macerate 20 min Cook 1 hr 30 min Serves 4-6 For the custard 40g flaked almonds, toasted 380ml whole milk 190ml double cream ¾ tbsp baharat spice mix 90g egg yolks (from about 7 large eggs) 120g caster sugar For the crumble 150g plain flour 35g ground almonds 70g caster sugar ½ tsp salt 120g fridge-cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes 50g jumbo oats (or rolled oats) For the fruit 4 medium bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into 3-4cm chunks (650g) 3 rhubarb stems, trimmed and cut into 3-4cm lengths (350g) 1 lemon –zest finely grated, to get 1½ tsp, and juiced, to get 1 tbsp 220g caster sugar Put the toasted almonds, milk, cream and baharat in a medium pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until steaming but not quite simmering. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to combine, then slowly whisk in a third of the hot milk. Repeat until all the milk is incorporated and the custard is smooth. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the now empty pan, then strain in the custard. Transfer the strained almonds to a bowl and set aside the sieve for now. Return the pan to a medium heat and cook the custard gently, stirring continuously, for seven minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Set the sieve over a medium bowl, pour in the custard, cover the surface with reusable kitchen wrap to stop a skin forming, then set aside to cool. (If you want to get ahead, you can make the custard up to this point, then chill for up to two days.) For the crumble, mix the flour, ground almonds, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the flour mixture until everything looks like breadcrumbs; work quickly so the butter doesn’t melt. Mix in the oats and strained almonds, then squeeze together small bits of the mix to make clumps of varying sizes and leaving some loose crumbs. Refrigerate until needed. Now to cook the crumble. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/375F/gas 4. Put the apples, rhubarb, lemon zest and juice, and sugar in a 26cm baking dish, then toss and leave to macerate for 20 minutes, so the rhubarb releases some juices. Top evenly with the crumble clumps, bake for 40 minutes, until golden and bubbling, then remove and leave to rest for five minutes. Serve the hot crumble directly from the pan with the cold (or warmed, if you prefer) custard. UK readers: click to buy these ingredients from Ocado Rhubarb and sweet vermouth trifle with amaretti There is something so silly and celebratory about a trifle: over the top, booze-filled, multi-layered, crowdpleasing and epic in the planning. It’s my absolute favourite desert island dessert. Plan ahead, though: the jelly needs to set in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and preferably overnight; it can even be made a few days in advance. Prep 10 min Cook 70 min Set/chill 12 hr+ Serves 6-8 For the jelly 550g rhubarb (4-6 stems), trimmed and cut diagonally into 4cm pieces 2½ tbsp dried hibiscus leaves, or the contents of 1 hibiscus teabag 1-2 lemons – zest shaved off to get 6 strips, then juiced, to get 2½ tbsp 230g caster sugar 150ml sweet red vermouth (I used Martini Rosso) 2 gelatine leaves For the custard 325ml whole milk ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out and pod reserved, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 60g caster sugar 20g cornflour 60g egg yolks (from about 3 eggs) To assemble 70g sponge fingers or savoiardi, cut into roughly 1cm cubes 200ml fridge-cold double cream 35g crunchy amaretti, roughly crushed Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, then start on the jelly. Put the rhubarb, hibiscus and lemon zest in a 20cm x 20cm baking dish and sprinkle over the sugar. Toss to combine, then leave to macerate for 20 minutes, so the rhubarb releases its juices. Add 300ml water, cover tightly with foil and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the rhubarb is just cooked through but still has a bite. Leave to cool slightly, then transfer 12 pieces of rhubarb to a bowl and set aside – this will be the garnish. Leaving the liquid in the dish, spoon the remaining rhubarb pieces into a standard 20cm, 1.8-litre-capacity trifle bowl. Strain the rhubarb liquid through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl and add the lemon juice and 100ml vermouth; discard the solids. Pour 450ml of this into a medium pan, and tip the rest into the rhubarb garnish bowl and chill. Put the gelatine in a medium bowl, cover with ice-cold water and soak for 10 minutes, until soft. Meanwhile, heat the rhubarb liquid pan on a medium heat until hot but not boiling, then take off the heat. Lift the gelatine from its water, squeeze out any excess liquid, then add it to hot rhubarb juice and stir to dissolve. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, pour over the rhubarb in the trifle bowl and chill overnight. For the custard, gently warm 275ml milk and the vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks in a large bowl for about two minutes, until pale and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a third of the hot milk to the egg mix, then repeat until all of the milk has been incorporated. Pour the mix back into the pan and cook gently, stirring regularly to stop it catching, for four to six minutes, until the custard thickens to the consistency of a mayonnaise. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 50ml milk, then pour into a medium bowl, lift out and discard the vanilla podand cover the surface of the custard with clingfilm or reusable plastic wrap to stop a skin forming. Chill for two to three hours, until set. Once the custard and jelly are both set, lay out the sponge fingers on a flat tray. Drizzle the remaining 50ml vermouth over the top, covering each sponge, then leave to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the cream to soft peaks, then chill. To assemble, evenly layer the sponge fingers over the set jelly in the trifle bowl, sprinkle over 25g crushed amaretti and evenly spoon the custard on top. Top with the whipped cream, using a spoon to create peaks across the surface, then neatly arrange the reserved rhubarb pieces on top. Sprinkle over the remaining crushed amaretti, drizzle two tablespoons of the rhubarb juice on top (save the rest for a cocktail) and serve.