My former mother-in-law would poach stone fruit that she found unsatisfactory in simple syrup which, while good, always seemed like an unnecessary use of huge amounts of sugar to me, as well as a cooking method that diluted the essential flavor of the fruit. Microwaves get a bad rap but I find them one of the great tools of summer cooking and use them as often as I can to avoid turning the oven on. (I also cook fish year round in them.) They are an excellent resource for quick cooking stone fruit, and the following recipe is a good case in point.
I used apricots because they are easy to prep (the stone pops right out when you halve them) and because I love the unxious texture they achieve when cooked this way. I used Apérol because I had some in the fridge and I like the slightly bitter background notes that this gives the finished fruit. That being said, you can use peaches or plums and a vast array of liquids - Campari, Lillet, even water - and gild the lily with ginger, bitters, a shake of ground cardamom, etc. I have made this recipe using white peaches and jasmine tea, yellow peaches with water that I had heated up first with a handful of basil leaves to infuse the water with their flavor, as well as plums and Earl Grey tea. Your imagination is the only limit though this version is REALLY good. Using so little liquid with the fruit distills the flavor and you get a concentrated punch of summer apricots the way they should taste but seldom do.
I like these at room temperature as is, or straight from the fridge, topped with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of crunchy granola and chopped crystallized ginger. They would make an excellent dessert if topped with a sorbet or granita such as my Sangrita Granita (or you could make a version that incorporated Apérol to tie the two elements together). I also bet (though I have not attempted this yet) that if these were blitzed in a blender they would make a great base for a modern Bellini or for a Bourbon based cocktail. I shall ponder this and get back to you...
1 lb apricots, washed, halved and stones removed
1 Tbsp Apérol
Place the apricot halves in a microwave safe dish (I use a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup).
Drizzle the Apérol over the top.
Place in the microwave and zap on high for 2 minutes. Stir gently to bring the apricot halves on the bottom to the top. Zap for an additional 2 minutes.
Let cool. The released apricot juices and the remaining Apérol will come together and make a thick, condensed in flavor, syrup. Spoon it over the apricot halves and enjoy - beautiful taste and stunningly pretty color.
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