The apricot is one of my favourite summer fruits. I like all the stone fruits but apricots are particularly special because, unlike peaches and nectarines, we now get a good crop in Britain.
It is great to make the most of our home-grown fresh fruit while it is available, but high-quality dried apricots are a really useful store-cupboard item for both sweet and savoury dishes. Gently poached in a vanilla-flavoured syrup and then allowed plenty of time to plump up, they are a delight.
SERVES 6
NOTE: Start the yoghurt sorbet 24 hours ahead to allow time for the sorbet to freeze
For the yoghurt sorbet
1 vanilla pod
100g caster sugar
100ml water
500g full-fat natural yoghurt mixed with 100ml semi-skimmed milk
20g glycerine
For the almond streusel crumb
50g ground almonds
50g light muscovado sugar
50g soft patisserie flour
½ tsp (scant) Maldon sea salt, finely ground
50g unsalted butter
For the apricots
40g runny honey
30g unsalted butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1 vanilla pod (it can be one you have used the seeds from in another recipe)
12 fresh apricots, halved and stoned
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Start the sorbet a day or more ahead of time. Begin by making a vanilla syrup; split and scrape the vanilla pod, and add to a heavy-based pan with the sugar and water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Cool and strain. Whisk the syrup into the yoghurt and milk mix and use a stick blender or whisk to mix in the glycerine. Chill overnight and then blend again before churning. Churn in an ice cream machine and then transfer to a plastic container or tin and freeze.
3. Next, make the streusel crumb. In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter and bring together into a rough dough. Press out on to a Silpat mat or baking parchment, placing another piece of parchment on top to prevent sticking, and roll out to a thickness of around 5mm. Slide onto a tray and bake for 10–12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on the tray. This is a simple way of adding crunch to many desserts and it will keep in an airtight tin for around a week.
4. Turn the oven up to 230°C . In a small roasting tin, heat the honey, butter and lemon until the mixture just starts to simmer. Add the vanilla pod. Toss the apricot halves in the honey mix to coat thoroughly. Roast at 230°C for 10 minutes, basting every few minutes with the honey mix. The roasting time may vary according to how ripe the fruit is.
5. To serve, allow four apricot halves per portion. Place in a small bowl with a little of the buttery juices, top with a ball of the sorbet and sprinkle the streusel over the top.