Heart Foundation Approved

Even Mc D's can get a heart foundation tick these days and being the competitive type I can't help but feel that surely I can do better than that. Just in case you were starting to worry that I was all egg yolks, butter and cream let me prove you wrong.

Every recipe writer, restauranteur and celebrity chef seems to be having a love affair with figs at the moment. As a child we had a treeful but a ripe one never made it to my greedy little mouth due to an ongoing battle with the native birds that were always one step ahead of me. Accordingly I find it a little difficult having to fork out for these babies nowadays. Who needs a swimming pool? I want my next house to have a fig tree. No birds thanks.






Fresh figs with balsamic syrup and greek yogurt

2 figs
2 tbsp greek yoghurt
slivered almonds

Balsamic syrup
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp water
3 heaped tsp brown sugar

In a shallow pan heat the vinegar. Keep well away, this mixture lets off some lethal fumes. After 1 minute add the water and sugar. Allow to bubble and thicken until you reach a runny caramel consistency. Allow to cool.

To serve plate figs with a dollop of yoghurt and almonds slivers. Spoon over cooled syrup.

Poached

Poaching is often my cooking method of choice. My standard breakfast order is two poached eggs. Hainanese chicken rice is my comforting cure-all meal and salmon poached in a fragrant Thai broth a standard mid-week dinner. It seemed time to venture from the savoury to the sweet.

Aromatic Poached Peaches




This makes a deep aromatic poaching liquid that would be perfect for any stone fruit. The sweet and spicy broth is ideal for under-ripe fruit in need of a flavour kick. Don't even think of discarding this liquid after use, it is an excellent soaking liquid for dried fruit!

200g sugar
750g water
3 cracked cardamom pods
2 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
vanilla pod or extract
2-3 swigs sweet liquor or dessert wine (I am such a precise cook!)
3 peaches halved

In a wide shallow saucepan bring the sugar and water to the boil. Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes until reduced slightly. Pop in the cracked cardamom pods, peppercorns, bay leaf and vanilla extract or scrape out a pod. Let boil for another 2 minutes and add liquor or wine. Reduce the heat before adding fruit.

Halve peaches and if seeds come away easily, remove at this stage. Otherwise remove after poaching. Gently ease peaches into poaching liquid. Allow to cook through until tender but not mushy. Around 10 minutes for under-ripe fruit. Make sure to turn fruit during cooking process.

Remove from liquid and allow to cool before slipping off peach skins. Serve with meringues, cream, custard or ice cream.

Don't throw away the remaining cooking liquid. It is excellent for soaking dates or raisins before use in cakes or puddings.

Nostalgia

Kitchen Wench is hosting a one-off event devoted to nostalgia.

We all have that dessert that Nanna used to make. This is mine. The one that my grandmother knew she could serve me seconds of without question. The one that made me scrape at the bowl for the last spoonful. Most importantly it is the one that helps you remember someone with warm memories rather than sorrow after they're gone.

Unlike everyone else in my family my Grandmother was a woman that avoided shortcuts. She was after all a woman that made fresh bread daily. My mother will happily make this pudding with evaporated milk while my Grandmother much preferred to stand over the pot for an hour, stirring constantly so the milk thickened to perfection. As a little trip down memory lane, I've decided to do it her way.

Dima's Payesh (Cardamom Rice Pudding)

(serves 8)

2 litres milk
5 tbsp brown sugar or 2 tbsp fresh palm jaggery
5 cardamom pods (cracked)
3 tbsp raw rice
rose water
4 tbsp chopped pistachios
3 tbsp raisins
flaked almonds
rose petals

Wash the rice and leave to dry. Heat the milk in a large sauce pan. Pop in cardamom pods. Stir constantly as it simmers until reduced to 3/4 the original volume- between 10-20 minutes. Don't be tempted to leave this alone as the milk will form a skin and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the rice at this stage and continue to stir until the rice is tender. Watch it carefully, it is not as forgiving as risotto and is likely to bubble over. Again this will take 10-20 minutes.

When rice is tender add the sugar and raisins. Feel free to fish out the cardamom pods if you feel your guests would be less than pleased with this spicy surprise in their pudding.

Let it boil and keep stirring until it reaches a thick creamy consistency- about 1/2-1/3 the original volume. This shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes but the final thickening happens rapidly and it will continue to thicken after taken off the heat.

Pour into a serving dish and top with a sprinkling of rose water and garnish with pistachios and almonds. Chill before serving and top with rose petals.

Note: If you can get palm jaggery stir it through after taking the pudding off the heat and skip the sugar.