Poaching Fruit

Poached fruit is cooked very gently in a light syrup so it still holds its shape. It can be eaten hot or cold, with or without its syrup and makes a simple but elegant pudding. Firm fruit such as pears, apples and plums hold their shape best when poached, but with juicy fruits you can use a heavier sugar syrup which delays the moment when they begin to collapse. Lemon juice added after cooking counteracts the sweetness.

1. Place a single layer of sliced or whole peeled fruit carefully in a wide saucepan of hot syrup. Make sure that the fruit is fully covered by the syrup.

   

2. Cover and poach very gently until the fruit is just soft when pierced with a small knife. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for several minutes.