Fruit Poached And Marinated Recipes

EASY POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine lemon zest, cinnamon stick, allspice, ground pepper, apple cider, and water.
• Add pears. Cover with waxed paper to prevent discoloring. Bring to a simmer. Cook, turning pears occasionally, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Remove pears from liquid; transfer to large bowl.
• Raise heat to high; boil cider mixture until reduced to a syrup, about 15 minutes. Discard cinnamon. Pour syrup over pears; refrigerate. To serve, slice off a sliver from the bottom of each pear (so it stands upright). Serve pears with lemon sorbet, if desired.

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.

PEACHES IN SAUTERNES

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and immerse the peaches in the water for 1 to 2 minutes, until the skins come off easily. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Peel the peaches and then slice them in wedges off the pit and into a bowl. Stir in the sugar, Sauternes, and orange liqueur. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Serve cool but not cold.

SUNNY'S PEAR AND GINGER MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine the pear juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger, sesame oil and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. And a few grinds more than normal of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Use as desired.

FRUIT, POACHED AND MARINATED

Steps:

• Pour chardonnay into a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods. Add honey, cinnamon stick, raisins or currants, and dried apples and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, fill a bowl with water and add lemon juice. Peel bananas; cut them in half lengthwise and then in 2-inch pieces, and immediately place in the acidulated water. (This prevents bananas from discoloring.)
• Drain bananas and add to simmering wine. Add nutmeg. Returnmixture to a simmer, cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Remove from heat. Add almonds. Remove cinnamon stick and if you wish, add a little more nutmeg. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream or plain yogurt if desired.

CANNED POACHED PEARS

Steps:

• Have ready two clean wide-mouth pint jars with screw-on bands. You can reuse jars and bands if they aren't chipped or dented, but you must use new lids every time you process. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat and add two new lids. Simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.
• Cut the pears in half from pole to pole. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds. Trim the stem ends to create round pear halves, leaving the pears as large as possible. Peel. Place the lemon juice in a bowl with 2 cups of water. Stir and add the peeled pears.
• Place the sugar, thyme and 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the cider and heat through. Add the pears and simmer for a few minutes, until they are heated through. Gently pack the pears, cut-side down, in the jars. Three halves will fit in each jar. Tuck one bay leaf, 3 or so peppercorns and a lemon peel in each jar.
• Strain the syrup over the pears, filling the jars about ¾ full. Using a butter knife, gently release any air bubbles. Top the jars with the wine, leaving ½ inch of space between the liquid and the lid. If the pears bob a bit above the liquid, it's O.K.
• Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel, place the lids on and screw on the bands fingertip-tight - don't crank them closed. Place the jars in a pot with a rack and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, let the jars rest for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool. You will hear a popping sound as the vacuum seals the lid to the jar. When the jars are cool, check the seals: Press on the lids. They should be taut and pulled down toward the inside of the jar. If a lid bounces when you press on it, the seal is imperfect and you will have to reprocess the jar with a new lid, or refrigerate and eat within two weeks. The pears may float in the liquid; it's O.K. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.
• To serve, drain the pears and boil the canning liquid in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced by half. Drizzle over the pears. They are good at room temperature, cold or warmed in the syrup. Garnish with crumbled amaretto cookies or a dollop of ricotta sweetened with confectioners' sugar.

POACHED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, lemon peel, and 5 cups water. Place over medium heat, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Gently place nectarines in the liquid. Add more water if needed to cover nectarines. Place a square of cheesecloth over the fruit, and top with a small plate to keep fruit submerged.
• Increase heat to high, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until nectarines are tender but not soft, about 5 minutes. Remove nectarines from liquid, and allow to cool
• Return liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to a syrup that will coat the back of spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool.
• Cut nectarines in half, and remove pit. Place two halves on serving plate. Drizzle with syrup. Top each half with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of mint.

ROASTED STONE FRUITS WITH VANILLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 8. Tip the sugar, vanilla pod, cardamom, lime zest and juice into a food processor, then blitz until blended, or mash together using a pestle and mortar. Tip the fruit into a shallow baking dish, then toss in the sludgy sugar.
• Roast for 20 mins until the fruits have softened, but not collapsed and the sugar and fruit juices have made a sticky sauce. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

BRANDIED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with water and lemon juice together in an ungreased baking dish until sugar is dissolved. Arrange pear halves, core side down, in the dish, and baste with the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake pears in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes, or until fork-tender but not mushy.
• Meanwhile, mix nuts together with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons brandy, and the yogurt; set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle in white sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of brandy, or liqueur of choice, and gently whip a few strokes more.
• To serve, place one pear half in the center of each serving plate and fill core cavity with nut stuffing. Top with whipped cream. Serve warm.