Olive Oil Poached Winter Fruits

Poaching fruit in olive oil infuses them with delicate richness. Try pears, apples or figs gently simmered in olive oil with honey, spices and a splash of dessert wine. Serve with Greek yoghurt or on top of a simple spiced cake.

INGREDIENTS

4 pears or apples, peeled, cored and halved or quartered

250ml GSG extra virgin olive oil

2–3tbsp honey

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole star anise

4 whole cloves

125ml Riesling or dessert wine (optional-see notes)

Greek yoghurt or spiced cake, to serve

METHOD

Place the GSG olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Add the honey, cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves, stirring gently to combine.

Add the fruit pieces and pour in the dessert wine, if using. Ensure the fruit is mostly submerged in the oil mixture.

Tear a piece of baking paper large enough to cover the top of the fruit, run it under the cold tap, screw into a ball, then unscrew it and cover the fruit tucking it around the edges. This helps to keep the moisture in.

Place the lid on the pot and simmer on the lowest heat for 20–30minutes, turning occasionally, until the fruit is tender but holding its shape.

Carefully remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and allow to cool slightly.

TO SERVE:

Serve warm or at room temperature with Greek yoghurt or ice cream or on top of spiced cake. (Our Ginger Cake would be the perfect accompaniment).

NOTES:

Substitute verjuice, apple juice or water if you don’t wish to use wine. Apples tend to cook faster than pears using this method, so check after 20 minutes. Save the infused oil for salad dressings or drizzling over vanilla ice cream for a subtle, aromatic flavour.

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