Peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums are all perfect for this dish – but ensure whatever you choose is in pristine condition as over-ripe fruit will collapse when baked.
Serves: 6–8
INGREDIENTS
8 firm but ripe nectarines or peaches, preferably free-stone or 12 apricots or plums
butter for greasing
Filling
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons icing sugar
40 grams butter, soft but not melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
finely grated zest 1 lemon
250 grams firm ricotta cheese
¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
To finish
caster sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Generously butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the fruit snugly, once halved. Halve the fruit and remove the stones. Use a teaspoon to scoop out a little flesh to make the hollow slightly larger. Reserve this and dice finely to add to the filling. Place the fruit cut side up in the baking dish.
Filling: Beat the egg yolks, icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest until light.
Drain any whey from the ricotta and pat with kitchen towels to remove excess moisture. This is only possible if the ricotta is in a firm ‘cake’. Crumble the cheese into the egg yolk mixture, add the reserved flesh and the pistachios and combine with a fork, keeping the mixture a little chunky.
Spoon it into the hollows of the fruit, mounding it up slightly. Sprinkle with caster sugar.
Bake for about 40 minutes until the fruit is tender and the filling is golden. Leave in the dish for at least 10 minutes before serving. Best served warm.
Zany Zeus or Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company ricotta are both ideal for this recipe.
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This winter issue of dish is about comfort and connection. Celebrating the best of New Zealand and Australian produce, it brings together recipes from some of our most-loved chefs, including Moroccan Chicken Soup, Mint-glazed Roasted Leg of Lamb, Slow Cooker Braised Red Wine and Miso White Chocolate Cheesecake. Find plenty to carry you through the colder months, from flaky sausage rolls and mushroom pie, to soul-soothing pasta, nostalgic baking, weekend market inspiration and dinner party menus. There’s a spotlight on the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, recipes from Caroline Griffiths’ Midnight Spaghetti, and a deep dive into the difference between Kiwi syrah and Aussie shiraz.