Stewed fruit crumble

Picture of Stewed fruit crumble

I know what you're thinking - stewed fruit = school dinners = not very exciting. But I'm here to change your mind - stewing, or gently poaching, fruit is a fantastic way of altering your perceived flavour of it. When stewed together with a little sugar and water (or maybe some alcohol like wine, port, brandy, rum or sherry) and other spices or flavourings, all types of fruit can take on a whole different vibe. Have you ever wondered where the inspiration and flavour combos came from for drinks like Dr Pepper and Vimto? Well, stewed fruit is the real McCoy because the juices can take on the most amazing flavours and it's completely good for you! Try a cinnamon stick or almonds with apricots and peaches, a couple of cloves with apples and pears, five-spice with plums, vanilla and orange zest with rhubarb (lemon zest and ginger are both good too!). But the one thing you have to remember is to try to keep as much of the fruit's shape and colour as you can, otherwise you'll end up with a jammy liquid.

I use all of the following fruits on a regular basis, depending on what's in season of course: rhubarb, peaches, pears, strawberries, plums, apples, cherries, figs, gooseberries, blackberries and blackcurrants. Now I would say stewed fruit is starting to sound a bit sexier! The other brilliant thing to bear in mind is that this is a dish that can be made very cheaply and it can also be easily transformed down the Family Tree, as you'll see. At the end of the day you can pick up boxes of slightly over-ripe or under-ripe fruit really cheaply, so this is a brilliant way of cooking on a budget.

Serves 8

Score down the length of the vanilla pod and remove the seeds by scraping a knife down the inside of each half. Get yourself a high-sided pot and add the sugar and 255ml/9fl oz of water to it. Place on the heat, and when it starts to warm up add the vanilla pod and seeds, the clove, cinnamon stick, star anise and orange zest. Bring to the boil until the liquid becomes clear then remove the clove, cinnamon and star anise. Turn it down to a simmer and put your firmer fruit into the pot - in this case, the pears and peaches, followed by the plums and rhubarb a few minutes later. Simmer slowly for 5 or 6 minutes until tender. A couple of minutes before the end, add the strawberries and blackberries. Let the fruit sit in the syrup for all the flavours to develop. If I'm going to be serving it just as fruit with its flavoured syrup and ice cream I tend not to overcook it too much, as this way it stays fresh and light and colourful. However, if I want a pulp I will remove the lid and continue to cook it, stirring as often as I can. When done, remember to remove the skin and stones from the peaches and plums.

Divide the fruit into bowls, spoon over the hot syrup and, if you have some to hand, finish by sprinkling over some basil or mint leaves. Serve with a dollop of cream.

Crumble

If you want to turn your stewed fruit into a crumble for 4, divide it between 4 ovenproof bowls. Top with a crumble mixture made by rubbing together 225g/8oz of plain flour, 115g/4oz of butter, 90g/3oz of sugar and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is crisp and the fruit is bubbling up at the sides. You can always make one large crumble if you would prefer.