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Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz |
It's that time of year, when there a lot of excitement over the new season's produce at the market.
There are freshly dug new potatoes and asparagus to get excited over as well as seedlings, which of course sell well because gardening has increased in popularity.
As there's something in the genes with me – my father was an avid gardener – so I tend to grow something each season, even if it's only a few tomatoes.
Last season I planted feijoa and tamarillo trees – and the tamarillos have suffered, yet still produce fruit.
I was hoping to have heaps so I could restock on some tamarillo chutney.
Recently, a judge on ‘My Kitchen Rules' declared tamarillos were a brave choice to have as a desert, because they were so polarising.
I can see his point but it's such a versatile fruit.
Crimson coast tamarillos at the Tauranga Farmers' Market can make assorted tamarillo products, including a fabulous vinegar and a dessert sauce.
Polarising or not, tamarillos poached then served with some vanilla anglaise and macadamia baklava has got to be one of my favourite desserts of all time.
The base products for this dessert – tamarillos, honey and macadamia nuts – can all be found at the farmers' market.
Honey poached tamarillos with vanilla sauce and macadamia baklava
Ingredients
4 firm red tamarillos
2 cups honey
3-4 cardamom pods
1 vanilla pod
300g chopped macadamia nuts
1 litre full cream milk
6 egg yolks
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup brown sugar
12-16 sheets filo pastry
200g butter, melted
Method
Cut a cross in the top of the tamarillos then place in a small stainless steel pot with the cardamon pods, one cup of honey, the whole unsplit vanilla pod and enough water to cover.
Bring up to the boil simmer for about three-four minutes. Take the tamarillos out and carefully plunge into cold icy water the skin should be able be removed easily, then rest the fruit.
Continue to reduce the rose-coloured syrup after rescuing the vanilla pod from the sauce.
Make the baklava by laying sheets of buttered filo pastry on a well-greased and lined oven tray and sprinkle each layer with some brown sugar and chopped nuts then a drizzle of honey, which can be heated first to make extra runny.
Once the tray is full cover with silicone paper and another tray and bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven allow to cool completely with other tray on top. Once the syrup has reduced pour up to half over the whole tray then allow to sink in before portioning into big triangles.
Meanwhile, add the vanilla pod, split and scraped, to a clean pot with the milk and heat gently with a little of the castor sugar.
Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar then gradually add the warmed milk, which should have nearly – but not quite – boiled.
Now harden up and don't be shy and put the whole mix straight back on the element, whisking the bottom of the pot constantly with a wide spatula so you don't get scrambled eggs.
Stop and remove from heat stirring well as soon as you feel thickening resistance occur. Heat the tamarillo back up in the remaining sauce and cut to display and assemble the dessert with big triangles of baklava and lots of vanilla sauce.
Enjoy!