Winter Fruit and Spiced Black Tea Stew
The first time I came across the idea of stewing dried fruit and nuts in black tea was while I worked for a creative chef in Zürich – he was a chef who knew how to appreciate seasonal ingredients. We prepared four versions of this dessert – one for each season. They all used different spices and fruit to highlight the season.
The dried fruits I use in the winter version are gently stewed in a spiced and sweetened strong black tea. I’m careful to keep the stewing time minimal to prevent the fruits from turning into a
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The first time I came across the idea of stewing dried fruit and nuts in black tea was while I worked for a creative chef in Zürich – he was a chef who knew how to appreciate seasonal ingredients. We prepared four versions of this dessert – one for each season. They all used different spices and fruit to highlight the season.
The dried fruits I use in the winter version are gently stewed in a spiced and sweetened strong black tea. I’m careful to keep the stewing time minimal to prevent the fruits from turning into a pot of mush. I leave the cooled fruits in the tea overnight – sometimes even two nights – to implant a strong flavor of tea and spices into the fruits. Finally, I strain the fruits out and reduce the tea to a syrupy consistency before adding the fruits back to the strongly flavored tea syrup for another night of cold brewing.
This recipe adjusts easily to whatever dried fruits, nuts or spices you want to use. I recommend serving your version warmed and with a scoop of vegan ice cream!
Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 6-8 servings (one liter/one quart)