Bakers, home cooks, and fans of tarted-up porridge, rejoice: rhubarb season is finally upon us. There’s a reason celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson, Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay are such fans of the tart, vibrant vegetable. As new Great British Bake-Off host Nigella explained, “there is nothing quite like a crumble made with the early, tender stuff”; her predecessor, Mary, simply dubbed it “delicious”. But that doesn’t mean it’s failsafe. All too often, I’ve begun stewing the purple stems with glossy purple perfection in mind, only to end up with flavourless browinsh-yellow mush. So, I tried a trick both Gordon and Jamie swear by to prevent the sog – and I’m never going back. Roasting rhubarb prevents it from going mushy Normally, I cook rhubarb on the hob (ideally with some butter, ginger, cornflour, and citrus juice). But this can be a delicate process: as Nigella notes, much longer than five minutes in the pan risks a watery mess. Jamie and Gordon have an answer, though. Both roast theirs in the oven – …