With British apricots having their biggest harvest ever, the stone fruits are taking over fruit and vegetable stands everywhere from supermarkets to corner shops. While they're great for everything from snacking to breakfast, apricots might not be the most obvious turn when it comes to cooking.
Luckily, we've rounded up chefs from some of London's best restaurants to show you how to utilise the plethora of apricots in style. From Hobnob-enhanced tarts to delicate poaching and Greek pie, this array of desserts will see you through all your summer dinner parties. So, how you like them apricots?
Ben Tish's poached apricots with orange flower water and whipped mascarpone
Utilising both fresh and dried apricots, this fresh recipe makes the perfect final touch to a summertime dinner party
Serves 4
Preparation time 10
“The origin of the apricot is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty,” says Ben Tish, chef director at Cubitt House. “It is said by some to have originated in Armenia and others say that its beginnings lay in the far. However, we do know that they’ve been cultivated in Persia since antiquity and from there have made their way around Europe and grown particularly well in Spain and southern parts of Italy. Apricots were (and still are) an important fruit in Arabic and Moorish cuisine. Apart from being delicious and versatile when fresh and in season, they also dry and preserve very well. Dried apricots are another thing all together form their fresh counterparts – they have an intense sweet and sour flavour from the dehydration process. There’s also much evidence that these dried fruits have many medical benefits, including helping with digestion and skin conditions. I’ve used both fresh and dried in this recipe as I feel the textures contrast well together.”
Ingredients
6 fresh apricots, cut in half and stone removed
6 dried apricots (an organic variety is best as they don’t include preservatives)
5 drops orange flower water
Peeled zest of ½ orange
75g golden caster sugar
100ml full fat mascarpone
½ vanilla pod - seeds scraped out
Method
Place 50g sugar and 150ml water in a saucepan with the orange zest and bring to a slow boil.
Add the dried apricots, cook for 3 minutes and then add the fresh apricot halves.
Continue to cook for 10 minutes until the fruits are nice and tender and the liquid has turned syrupy.
Turn off the heat. Add the flower water and leave to macerate for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Vigorously whisk the mascarpone with the remaining sugar and vanilla until fully incorporated.
Serve the poached apricots and some syrup with a dollop of mascarpone. Also delicious with my almond and caramel ice cream.
Pied à Terre's Greek apricot milk pie
You can't go wrong with a towering pile of crispy filo pastry, sweet cream, delicate apricots and aromatic lavender syrup
Serves 3-4
Preparation time 30
Cooking time 30
“This is my refined take on a classic Greek Milk Pie,” says Asimakis Chaniotis, executive chef at Pied à Terre. “I created it last summer when I was in Greece back at my family home on the island of Kefalonia where we have apricot trees in the garden. I had fun experimenting with the harvest and made lots of apricot ‘membrillo’ to go with our cheese course at the restaurant along with this creation. The dessert is simple to make but has a wow-factor – give it a go!”
Ingredients
6 filo pastry sheets 7cm by 7 cm
6 filo pastry sheets 6cm by 6 cm
6 filo pastry sheets 5cm by 5 cm
6 filo pastry sheets 4cm by 4 cm
3 tbsp melted butter
3 fresh and ripe apricots-cut in half, stones removed and then cut into wedges about 1cm thick
For the cream filling
300ml milk
130g sugar
60g fine semolina
2 whole eggs
1 tbsp butter
1/5 vanilla pod (seeded scraped) or 2 drops of vanilla essence
For the lavender syrup
50 ml water
50g sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 sprigs of lavender
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C
Start with the filo pastry which you have already cut into different sized squares. Butter each piece and stack each same-sized piece together so you have 6 piles, all different sizes. This will create an impressive tower shape when you serve your dessert.
Place the filo piles onto a baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper, and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile make your lavender syrup by adding all of the ingredients into a pan and bringing to a boil, before taking off the heat. Remove the sprigs of lavender.
Over a wire rack, pour the hot syrup over the hot cooked filo pastry and leave to cool until the pastry dries out and is crispy.
Bring the milk to the boil and add the semolina, whisk constantly until it boils and thickens.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and the vanilla. Take the milk mix off the heat and allow to cool slightly. When still warm, but not scorching, slowly start adding the milk mixtures to your bowl whilst whisking constantly. Add the butter and mix until it’s all emulsified.
Leave the mixture to cool down but mix it every 5 minutes so it will not have a crust on top, then cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for around an hour to set completely.
When set, remove from the fridge and whisk for a minute before transferring to a piping bag.
To serve, place the biggest piece of filo onto a serving dish. Pipe on a circle of cream, leaving space around the edge. Repeat until you’ve finished up all of the filo and you have a tower shape. Place the wedges of apricot into the layers of filo and cream. Serve immediately.
Wild by Tart's Apricot Tart
Is there any more fitting dish from a restaurant called Wild by Tart?
Makes 1
The clue really is in the name here – this apricot tart from Wild by Tart is a quintessential way to use up any excess apricots. The apricot, hazelnut and hobnob crust gives it a gratifying crunch with a hint of chocolatey sweetness. You're unlikely to have any leftovers.
Ingredients
150g chocolate hobnobs
100g almonds, toasted
100g hazelnuts, toasted
150g butter
1 tsp sea salt
500g apricots, quartered
50g butter, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp demerara sugar
bunch of thyme
½ glass of masala or white wine
200g mascarpone
200g yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extra
150g lemon curd
zest of 1 lemon
150g honey
Juice of ½ lemon
Method
Whiz the hobnobs in a food processor (or bash in a bag) to a fine crumb and place in a bowl. Roughly chop the nuts and add to the hobnobs. Place the butter in a small pan and melt then add to the nut mixture with the salt and combine.
Tip the mixture into the tart case and push to create a tart shell, spread evenly and place in the fridge to harden.
Heat the oven to 190c.
Halve the apricots and destone, place on a baking tray, drizzle with the wine and sugar, sprinkle over the thyme and dot over the butter. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Take out and cool.
Mix together the mascarpone, yoghurt, vanilla, lemon curd and lemon juice – combine and leave to one side.
Place the honey and the thyme in a small pan and bring to a simmer then take off the heat and add the lemon juice.
Take the crust out of the fridge dollop in the mascarpone mixture and spread evenly. Place the apricots over the top then take a pastry brush and brush over the honey mixture. Either eat straight away or place back in the fridge till needed but serve within 24 hours.
TIP: To take the tart out of its tin place on top of a can of beans take a cloth and dip into hot water and run around the tin case – repeat until the case comes loose.
