abricots - Cristina, from Buenos Aires to Paris

Cooking with ®Revol: Fruits & Herbs in Mini-Cocottes…Roasted Apricots with Rosemary, Chocolate/Tarragon Icecream

En Español, en color !

Why do herbs have to pair savory dishes? Herbs (fines herbes) can add a fresh, subtile parfum, to our desserts…

Quién dijo que las hierbas solo van con lo salado? No…pueden ser un toque fresco y sutil en nuestros postres…

And I insist here! It has to be delicate, not over-riding…we want apricots to taste like apricots, and chocolate is chocolate…but once swallowed, a provocative taste comes to our tongue, and our memory…and there, Bingo! We all know rosemary…maybe some people have never used tarragon, so typically French, with hints of anise, mint, pine and pepper.

Ojo ! Insisto….tiene que ser algo delicado, que no tape el gusto original…Los damascos tienen que seguir teniendo gusto a damascos…y el chocolate debe ser chocolate…es como que el sabor a la hierba debe volver al paladar, e instalarse en nuestra memoria gustativa, y ahi, Bingo! Todos conocemos el romero, pero quizas no tanto usen el estragon, tan tipicamente francés, como con una alusion a anis, menta, pino y pimienta…

For my roasted apricots, what better that these mini-cocottes, with their lids, in these “vitamin” colours? So playful, so original, matching our spring/summer mood? Yes, casseroles are not a winter thing only…

Y qué mejor para mis damascos al horno, que estas mini-cacerolitas individuales, con las tapas de distintos colores “vitamina”. Quedan “topisimas” en la mesa !! (esta es una palabra que “aprendi” en mi ultimo viaje a Buenos Aires..me la enseño Trini, la hija de mi amiga Patricia..cuando algo es muy “top” ya es “topisimo”…Me encanto! Palabra adoptada!!! )

Warm apricots…brûlés..(we can hear the “crack, crack” of sugar) icecream..contrast in temperature, texture…What else?

Damascos tibios…brûlés..(podemos escuchar el crack, crack del azucar) …helado..contraste en temperatura y textura..Qué mas?

Apricot Chutney, for a Cheese Course….My Apricot Saga (Part III)

Finally, the end of my apricot saga…with this apricot chutney, that will make your cheese board, even more appealing!! I would also use this chutney to accompany chicken, cold meats, or even for sandwiches….

Keeping this chutney in jars is like making sure the best of the summer will stay with us for some months…brightening our colder and not so shiny days…..

Here I used roquefort cheese, but the cheese variety is absolutely up to you ! And I “crowned” the cheese with some caramelised hazelnuts that then I chopped ! I love the crunch of the hazelnuts, the sweet/salty contrast between chutney and cheese….

The backstage of the first photo

I hope you adopt this chutney for your summer evenings with friends….
Enjoy!

To make this Apricot Chutney, you will need:

(around 700grs)

*small red onion, 1 *garlic, 1 clove, chopped *chilli pepper (or any other pepper), 1 point *fresh ginger, en brunoise, 1/2 tbsp *olive oil, 1tbsp *butter, 1 teasp *apricots, 500gr *sugar, 200gr *white vinegar, 100gr *cilantro, chopped, to taste

Put the olive oil and butter in a saucepan, and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic, and chilli pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients (the apricots should be washed, rinsed and cut in small cubes), except the cilantro. Take it to a boil, and then lower the heat. Cook for 30′/40′ until desired “jam” consistence, stirring from time to time. Once finished, add the cilantro. Put the chutney in sterilized pots. cover with the lid. Put the pots upside-down till completely cool. You can keep this chutney for several weeks. Once the pot is open, keep it in the fridge.

For the caramelised hazelnuts, follow my recipe here…using hazelnuts instead of almonds…