Pear and Apricot Compote with Fruit Bread Crumble

, from Issue #23. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Pear and Apricot Compote with Fruit Bread Crumble

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe pears
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1⁄2 cup water
2 tablespoons honey
finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick

Fruit bread crumble*
4 thick slices fruit bread, crusts removed
1⁄4 cup brown sugar

To serve
2 cups thick plain yogurt
icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

Peel and core the pears. Chop roughly and place in a saucepan. Halve the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Add seeds and pod to the pears. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the fruit is falling apart. Discard the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Transfer to a bowl and lightly crush together with a fork. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Crumble: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Break the bread into rough chunks and place in a food processor with the brown sugar. Pulse to form coarse crumbs. Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake, tossing every 3 minutes until well toasted and the sugar has started to caramelize, about 10 minutes. The crumbs will still be soft when hot but will crisp on cooling.

To assemble: Divide three quarters of the compote between serving glasses. Top with most of the yoghurt then the crumbs. Finish with a spoonful each of compote, yoghurt and crumbs. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with a sprig of mint. 

*A good quality, toasted granola can be used in place of the fruit bread crumble.