serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
35 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
35
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
For the red wine jus
- 400 ml (14 fl oz) red wine (see Note)
- 2 tsp stevia powder or 100 g (3½ oz) caster sugar
- ½ vanilla bean (see Note)
- 4 small cinnamon sticks
- 2 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 thin slices lemon
- 2 thin slices orange
For the winter fruit
- 2 quince, peeled, cored and quartered
- 2 cox’s orange pippin apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- 2 very ripe conference pears, peeled, cored and quartered
- 4 Agen prunes
- 1 handful frozen blackberries (optional)
Freezing time overnight
Instructions
For the red wine jus, in a saucepan over a high heat, bring the red wine to the boil for 2 minutes, which will remove much of the alcohol, then add 400 ml (14 fl oz) water and the remaining jus ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer.
For the winter fruit, poach the quince in the simmering jus for around 25 minutes (see Note). Add the apples and pears and simmer for 4 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature before adding the prunes and blackberries (if using). Strain one-third of the liquor and freeze overnight. Cover and chill the remaining liquid and fruit in the fridge.
To serve, scrape the frozen cooking liquor with a fork to create beautiful flakes of perfumed ice. Arrange the fruit, spices and cooking juices in a large dish or divide between four bowls. At the last moment, put a spoonful of the delicate flakes of spiced wine granita on top of your dessert. You could alternatively serve the granita in small cups from the freezer as a little pre-dessert.
Notes
• My general rule about wine when cooking is not to use an expensive bottle. Look for a deep, rich-coloured cabernet sauvignon or merlot. pinot noir is too light.
• I normally use vanilla purée, but here I want the vanilla to diffuse its flavour slowly so as to penetrate the quince, and the most effective means of achieving this is to use a bean.
• It is important that the liquid does not boil while poaching the fruits, as the intensity of the heat will damage their delicate flesh.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
