Rhubarb is a force to be reckoned with...

The rhubarb is grown and harvested by candlelight in an area known as the rhubarb triangle, between Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds.

Now the European Commission has awarded it Protected Food Status.

Here, Kenyan-born Armstrong Wagabi, head chef at The Waterton Park Hotel, Walton Hall, Wakefield, gives his take on the Yorkshire favourite.

Awarded an AA rosette last year, he said: "I grew up in a country where it was unheard of to cook with anything other than what was freshly available on the doorstep. I believe that freshly harvested local produce has a much better chance of delivering on taste.

"For me, Yorkshire rhubarb epitomises the best of English produce for its versatility, colour and, of course, its amazing flavour.

I love it."

Seared east coast scallops, rhubarb strips,caramelised orange segments, rhubarb foam

serves four as a starter

300g fresh rhubarb

8 East Coast scallops

150g caster sugar

250ml whipping cream

2 sweet oranges

Drop of olive oil

Clean the rhubarb and slice half in to 10-centimetre-long thin strips, using the rest of the rhubarb, cut up roughly, to make a rhubarb stock, adding approx 50gm sugar (to taste).

Add the rhubarb strips to the stock and let the rhubarb strips cook until soft. Take off the heat and leave in stock until needed.

Using some of the cooked rhubarb and stock, place in

a blender and blitz until a smooth consistency, fold in whipped cream and place in a piping bag until needed.

Peel, de-pith and seed a whole orange, slice in to segments, add to a pan and add 100g sugar and slowly bring to boil to caramelise the oranges. Take off the heat and set aside until needed.

Sear the scallops in a hot pan, 30 seconds on each side, and leave to rest.

Place the scallops on a plate, place a small pile of rhubarb strips next to the scallops, and place four orange segments on the plate. Pipe the rhubarb foam to finish.

Pork fillet wrapped in pancetta, rhubarb chutney,rhubarb glaze, croquette stack

2 each pork fillet (cleaned and trimmed)

400 gm pancetta (really thinly sliced)

Mashed potato (Desire or King Edward best)

Plain flour

One beaten egg

Breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Rhubarb Chutney

500g rhubarb

100 ml white wine vinegar

1cm fresh ginger, grated or very finely chopped

200g sugar

tsp salt

Rhubarb glaze

200g rhubarb, finely chopped

1tbsp finely grated ginger

100gm of caster sugar

1 glass of White wine

200ml of good quality meat stock

1 tbspn double cream

Clean and trim the pork fillet to about 160gm pieces; wrap several strips of pancetta around the pork, pan fry in a hot pan, and roast in a hot oven for about eight minutes. Allow time to rest before serving.

For the chutney, chop rhubarb into small cubes, place in a small pan, with some boiled water to cover the rhubarb, grate in fresh ginger, add sugar, white wine vinegar, a stick of cinnamon, and slowly reduce until the rhubarb is just soft to the touch. Drain and keep until needed.

For the glaze/syrup, chop rhubarb as finely as possible, place in a small pan with a little water and cook till soft. Using a good meat stock, add rhubarb syrup, white wine, cream and allow to reduce.

Make a small amount of mash potato, and roll into small croquette size, cover in flour, roll in to a beaten egg, cover in breadcrumbs and either deep fry or bake in the oven until crispy.

Cut pork fillet in to three slices, spoon the rhubarb chutney on to the plate, arrange the three slices of pork on top of the chutney, pour a little of the rhubarb glaze over the pork, and, finally, add two croquettes and any seasonal vegetables as required.

Rhubarb crme brle

4 ramekins

450g fresh rhubarb – cut to 3cms pieces, plus some longer strips

3 tablespoons caster sugar

Knob of butter

2 vanilla pods

150ml double cream

400ml full fat milk

8 egg yolks

40g caster sugar

100g demerara sugar for topping

In a pan, add sugar, a knob of butter, small cupful of water and slowly bring to boil.

Add several 3cm very thin strips of rhubarb to the mixture and leave in for several minutes. Divide between the ramekins, keeping a few of longer pieces aside for decoration.

Score the vanilla pods and scrape seeds into a pan, with the pods, milk and cream and very slowly bring to the boil. Remove from heat.

Beat yolks and sugar in a bowl until very light and fluffy. Very slowly add milk mix to eggs and return mix to the pan.

Stir over a very low heat stir until the mixture thickens to a custard, then remove from the heat and remove pods.

Pour equal amounts of the custard over the rhubarb and leave to go cold.

Two-three hours before serving, spring the top of each brle with demerara or icing sugar – ideally heat with a cook's blowtorch, until golden-brown or place under the hottest grill.

Allow tops to cool and keep in fridge till ready to serve. Serve ramekins on a plate, a couple of longer strips of rhubarb by the side and sprinkle plate lightly with icing sugar.