Poached Berries With Rose Swirls Food

PERFECT POACHED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place the vin santo, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla bean, and zests in a large, shallow saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact, and scoop out the seeds from the bottom with an apple corer or melon baller. Lay half the pears on their sides in the poaching liquid and simmer for 20 minutes, carefully turning the pears once with a spoon. Remove with a slotted spoon. Poach the remaining pears in the same liquid. Snip off the hard stems from the figs with scissors. Add the figs, apricots, prunes, and the first batch of poached pears and simmer 5 to 10 more minutes, until the pears and the dried fruit are all tender.
• Chill the pears, dried fruit, zests, and poaching liquid. Remove the cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla bean before serving if you like.

POACHED BERRIES WITH ROSE SWIRLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to Gas Mark ½ or 120°C. Put the egg whites into a heatproof bowl with the sugar and cream of tartar. Rest the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, with an electric mixer, until the sugar has dissolved and the whites are warm to the touch. This will take about 4 mins.
• Add the rose water and a few drops of the food colouring and continue whisking for another 5 mins, until the meringue becomes glossy and forms stiff peaks.
• Spoon the mixture into the piping bag and pipe 12 swirls on to the baking sheet. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hour, until firm.
• To poach the berries: Pour the wine into a small pan. Add the sugar and blueberries. Heat gently for a few mins, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, add the strawberries and leave to cool.
• Sandwich the meringues together with a spoonful of whipped cream and serve with the poached fruits.

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.