Hot Curried Fruit
Serves8 to 12
Cooking Methodpoaching
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 4 hours
Make Ahead RecipeYes
OccasionBuffet, Formal Dinner Party
Recipe Coursedessert
Mealdinner
Moodadventurous
Taste and Texturesharp, spiced, sweet
Type of Dishdessert, fruit
Ingredients
- 12 firm ripe pears
- About 3½ cups sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
- 3 small cinnamon sticks
- 10 whole cloves
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 12 oranges
- 1 winter melon
- 1 bunch red grapes, preferably seedless, cut into small clusters
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ cup crystallized ginger, cut into julienne
Instructions
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Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact.
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Place them in a large non-aluminum pot with enough water to cover.
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Add the sugar, spices, and lemon juice.
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Cover the pears with a round of waxed paper cut to fit the interior of the pot.
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Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the pears can be easily pierced with a knife.
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Meanwhile, slice away the skin and pith from the oranges.
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Remove the pears to a serving bowl and add enough syrup to cover.
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Place the oranges in the cooking liquid and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.
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Peel and seed the melon. Cut into long 1-inch strips.
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Add the melon strips to the poaching oranges and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove to the serving bowl.
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Add the grapes and lemon slices to the poaching liquid and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl.
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Add the curry powder to the liquid and whisk to dissolve.
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Cook the syrup until reduced by half. Strain through a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth.
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Drain away any juices that have collected in the serving bowl and pour the syrup over the fruits.
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Serve the fruit with a little of the crystallized ginger julienne spooned over each portion.
Christopher Idone
