Maria Elia's Deliciously Simple Recipe

We were very lucky to work with the talented Maria Elia in issue 2 of Chasing Vintage. Maria treated us to a deliciously simply recipe for Rhubarb, rosewater and ginger trifle.

Maria, knew she wanted to be a chef at the age of four. Her first head chef position was at Delfina in London, a position Maria held for nearly a decade before setting up The Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room, a role that garnered her rave reviews, 2AA rosettes, and a Michelin recommendation. Maria’s deceptively simple, multilayered dishes influenced by the cuisine from the Orient to the Occident, have won her many accolades. Her Gourmand award winning second cookbook, Full of Flavour published in 2011 by Kyle Books, develops themes expounded in her bestselling debut title, The Modern Vegetarian, published in 2009, where she coaxes the reader to wake their palates with unique flavour combinations. Not only has she appeared on numerous television programmes, including Saturday Kitchen, Market Kitchen and the Perfect series. Maria has also contributed to a wide variety of publications from the Guardian to BBC Good Food, Waitrose, Red, Delicious and Olive Magazines and has been hailed by The Independent as one of 10 Female Chefs to watch.

Her third book ‘Smashing Plates’ (Kyle Books) is due to be published in September 2013.

If you loved Maria's tasty recipe in issue 2 of Chasing Vintage, you'll love this topping for the trifle, also from Maria.

Take your trifle to new heights by making a rosewater rhubarb jelly:

For the rose scented rhubarb jelly

400g rhubarb, trimmed, chopped into 2cm pieces

2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
150g caster sugar
2 leaves of gelatine
1 tbsp rose water

Soak the gelatine in cold water.

Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with the ginger, sugar and 100ml of water. Cover and simmer on a medium heat until the rhubarb is soft enough to mash, approx 10 minutes.

Strain and push through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Squeeze the gelatine of water and stir into the warm rhubarb syrup until dissolved.
Cool, then stir in the rosewater. Once the jelly has just begin to set pour over the second layer of rhubarb and place in the refrigerator until completely set, approx 2 hrs; top with rose scented cream as above.

The quality of rose waters can vary considerably. Look out for the Costas brand which you’ll find in Middle Eastern supermarkets-it’s flavour is much more intense. 

Further information:

www.thisismariaelia.com