Red Wine Poached Rhubarb

I love the way David Lebovitz cooks.  The recipes are not too complicated but the results are wonderful.   I picked rhubarb again yesterday and came across this recipe on David's blog.  And the wine can be any old fruity plonk.  There is no need to break out the good stuff for this recipe.  I served this with my rhubarb ice cream.  Just when we both thought I was out of fresh rhubarb, I picked more yesterday.

Red Wine Poached Rhubarb

Four to six servings

2 cups red wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 small cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
2-4 allspice berries
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and rinsed

1. In a wide, non-reactive saucepan, heat the wine, sugar, honey, and spices.

2. Cut the rhubarb into pieces, roughly the size of carrot sticks.

3. Once the wine is almost boiling, poach the rhubarb in two batches, standing vigilant with a slotted spoon. When just tender, remove the rhubarb and put it in a bowl and poach the remaining rhubarb.

Depending on the rhubarb, each batch will take 1 to 3 minutes to poach.

4. Reduce the poaching liquid over moderate heat until you have about 3/4 cup (185ml). Pour over the rhubarb pieces and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Serve warm with a scoop of cool ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Storage: The compote can be made up to a day in advance. Keep in the bowl, covered at room temperature, until ready to serve. Rewarm before serving or serve at room temperature.

Variation: Once cool, add a basket of raspberries or blackberries, or sliced strawberries. Or cook the rhubarb with fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half.