Poached Fruit with Thick Yoghurt, Honey and Toasted Fruit Bread

From issue #10.
Photography by Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Poached Fruit with Thick Yoghurt, Honey and Toasted Fruit Bread

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

8 cups water
1⁄4 cup orange liqueur – optional 4 cups sugar
2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned*
1 orange, zest removed in wide strips
12 small nectarines or peaches
150 grams cherries
thick Greek-style yoghurt liquid honey for drizzling
loaf of fruit bread or panettone

METHOD

Put the water, liqueur, sugar, ginger and the orange zest in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Use a small, sharp knife to cut lightly along the groove of the fruit and add them to the syrup. Place a piece of baking paper over the fruit allowing it to come up the sides of the pot. Put a small plate on top to keep the fruit submerged. Simmer gently until tender but not falling apart. This will take approximately 10 minutes but will depend on the ripeness of the fruit.

Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and cool the fruit and the syrup separately. Carefully peel off the skin and place in a large serving bowl.

Pour over the cold syrup, cover and refrigerate. Allow the fruit to return to room temperature before serving. Add the cherries to the bowl.

Put the yoghurt in a small serving bowl and drizzle the honey over the top.

Toast slices of the fruit bread and serve alongside the fruit. Serves 6

* To julienne: This term means to slice food, often vegetables, into thin, matchstick strips. This is most easily done using a mandolin but can also be done by hand. First cut into 1/*-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices and cut into 1/*-inch-thick strips. Cut into whatever length is desired