Fruit

Poached or stewed fruits

Firm fruits like apricots, peaches, plums and pears make some of the loveliest desserts when gently poached in a delicately flavoured syrup. All fruits should be first washed well and then prepared according to type.

• Use a pan wide enough for the fruit to lie in a single layer so they cook gently and retain their attractive shapes.
• Water and sugar used to cook the fruit should be made into a syrup before the fruit is added. Unless the fruit is very sour use 4oz (100g) castor sugar and ½ pint (300ml) water for each 1lb (450g) fruit; when sugar has dissolved bring syrup to the boil, then lower the heat, simmer for 1 minute and add the fruit.
• The syrup can be flavoured with thinly pared orange or lemon rind, elder-flowers, a vanilla pod or vanilla sugar and it can be spiced with cloves or cinnamon stick. Or you can use brown sugar in place of castor sugar to add colour and flavour.
• Draw the pan off the heat before the fruit is completely cooked. Leave to stand, covered, until the fruit is tender. Cooking limes vary but are usually between 3–5 minutes or a little longer if the fruit is hard and not completely ripe.
• Chilled poached fruits are nice served simply on their own with soft sponge fingers or crisp shortbread. Or you can accompany them with pouring cream or vanilla ice cream and they go well with baked custard or with something simple like muesli.