Chilled Poached Apricots With Whipped Cream Food

CHILLED POACHED APRICOTS WITH WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Bring wine, water, and sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add apricots, pushing down gently, so fruit is submerged. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer just until apricots are tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on ripeness and size of fruit.
• Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer apricots to a dish. Pour in enough poaching liquid to cover fruit (about 1 cup), and cover with parchment. Let remaining liquid simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half and lightly syrupy, about 10 minutes; strain. Refrigerate apricots and syrup separately, for 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, beat cream until soft peaks form. Gently whisk in 1/4 cup cooled syrup, and season with cardamom if desired. Divide apricots among 8 dessert bowls, and drizzle with syrup. Top each with a large dollop of whipped cream.

POACHED APRICOT HALVES

Steps:

• In a 4-to-5-quart pot over medium heat, combine 4 cups water with sugar, lemon peel, ginger, cardamom, and vanilla scrapings. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Add apricots to pan. Rinse a double thickness of cheesecloth under cold water, and drape it over apricots so all the fruit is covered by the cloth and submerged in liquid.
• Continue simmering until apricots soften slightly, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. Use immediately, or transfer apricots and poaching liquid to a storage container. Make sure the apricots are completely submerged in liquid. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 4 days.

POACHED PEARS WITH SAFFRON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Poached Pears: Core pears from bottoms, using a small melon baller or measuring spoon to scoop out seeds. Cut a round of parchment to fit inside a medium saucepan.
• Place pears in pan along with wine, sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, saffron, and enough water to mostly cover pears (about 3 cups). Add vanilla seeds, then pod. Cover with prepared parchment round.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, turning pears occasionally to keep them covered with liquid, until tender (easily pierced with the tip of a knife) but not falling apart, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on ripeness and size. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a large bowl; cover with parchment round from pan.
• Remove and discard vanilla pod and cinnamon. Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to a thin syrup, 25 to 30 minutes (you should have 1 to 1 1/2 cups). Pour syrup over pears and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Saffron Whipped Cream: In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 cup cream and saffron over medium until just barely bubbling around edges. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl; add remaining 3/4 cup cream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Serve pears whole or halved in shallow bowls, with syrup and saffron whipped cream.

SIMPLE POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Bring water, agave nectar, and orange peel to a brisk simmer in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add apricots, pushing down to cover with liquid; reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until apricots are just tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on ripeness.
• Transfer apricots gently with a slotted spoon to a shallow bowl or dish. Pour just enough liquid over them to cover and return saucepan with remaining liquid to stove. Simmer over medium-high until reduced by half and lightly syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Strain syrup into dish with apricots. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and serve.

LILLET-POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Bring wine, water, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and spices to a simmer in a medium pot, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add apricots, pushing down gently so fruit is submerged. Cover surface with a parchment round and simmer just until apricots are tender when pierced with a knife, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer as done to a dish, using a slotted spoon, and cover with another piece of parchment. 2. Bring poaching liquid to a boil and cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 40 minutes; strain. Let apricots and reduced liquid cool, then serve together with whipped cream.

POACHED APRICOTS IN VANILLA-THYME SYRUP WITH CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with tip of a sharp knife into a 2-quart saucepan and add pod, water, sugar, zest, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add apricots and simmer, stirring once or twice, until tender, 2 to 6 minutes (depending on ripeness).
• Spoon syrup over warm apricots in bowls and top with dollops of crème fraîche.

POACHED APRICOTS WITH ROSEWATER

Steps:

• Put the sugar into a medium pan with 150ml water. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then add the apricots and simmer for 15 mins until soft. Take off the heat, splash in the rosewater and leave to cool. Spoon into glasses to serve, topped with a few dollops of the yogurt and a scattering of nuts.

HONEY VANILLA POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan simmer water, honey, sugar, and vanilla bean, covered, 5 minutes. Add apricots and simmer, covered, until just tender but not falling apart, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on ripeness of fruit.
• Transfer apricots with a slotted spoon to a bowl and boil syrup until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Pour syrup over apricots and chill 25 minutes.

ALMOND PRALINE SEMIFREDDO WITH GRAPPA-POACHED APRICOTS

Steps:

• For semifreddo:
• Line a lightly oiled 8 1/2-by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• Cook 1/3 cup sugar in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until a deep golden caramel.
• Stir in almonds to coat and scrape onto baking sheet. Cool, then break into pieces. Pulse in a food processor until praline is finely ground (do not grind to a paste).
• Beat eggs and remaining 1/4 cup sugar with a pinch of salt in a 2-quart metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water using a handheld electric mixer at high speed until tripled in volume and very thick, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until mixture is cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Stir in extract.
• With cleaned beaters, beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold about one third of whipped cream into egg mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cream and all but 1 tablespoon praline gently but thoroughly (reserve 1 tablespoon praline for garnish). Spoon into loaf pan and freeze, covered, until firm, at least 6 hours.
• Poach apricots:
• Bring water, sugar, and zest to a simmer in a 12-inch heavy skillet, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes. Add grappa and return to a simmer. Toss apricots with lemon juice, then put, cut sides down, in grappa syrup and simmer 5 minutes. Turn apricots over and simmer until just tender, 1 to 3 minutes more.
• Transfer apricots with a slotted spoon to a 13-by 9-inch dish, arranging them in 1 layer. Boil syrup in skillet until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes, and pour over apricots. Cool to room temperature.
• Uncover semifreddo and invert onto a chilled platter, using plastic wrap to help pull it from mold. Sprinkle reserved praline on top. Slice semifreddo crosswise and serve with apricots and syrup.

POACHED DRIED APRICOTS AND CURRANTS WITH ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Bring water, wine, sugar, honey, oranges, vanilla seeds, and spices to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 8 minutes.
• Add apricots and currants. Cover, and cook until apricots have softened, about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving liquid and transferring fruit to a bowl. Simmer liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Strain syrup through fine sieve. Pour syrup over fruit. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with zabaglione.