I made this for some overnight guests over the holidays, everyone loved it.
Winter Fruit Salad
TOTAL TIME 15 minutes (plus overnight chilling)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
3 star anise
1 plump vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (I threw in a cinnamon stick instead of vanilla bean)
2 2-inch long pieces lemon zest (peeled with a vegetable peeler), preferably Meyer lemons
3 firm Bosc pears
1 firm tart apple
8 dried Turkish apricots, cut in half
4 dried figs, quartered
Preparation
1. Fill a medium saucepan with 5 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Then shut off the heat. Meanwhile, peel and core pears and apple. Slice thinly lengthwise and place in a large heatproof bowl. Add apricots and figs. Pour hot sugar syrup on top, making sure all the fruit is covered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; poke a few holes in plastic. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
2. The next morning, using a slotted spoon ladle fruit into a serving bowl and serve.
NY TImes
Winter Fruit Salad
TOTAL TIME 15 minutes (plus overnight chilling)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
3 star anise
1 plump vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (I threw in a cinnamon stick instead of vanilla bean)
2 2-inch long pieces lemon zest (peeled with a vegetable peeler), preferably Meyer lemons
3 firm Bosc pears
1 firm tart apple
8 dried Turkish apricots, cut in half
4 dried figs, quartered
Preparation
1. Fill a medium saucepan with 5 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Then shut off the heat. Meanwhile, peel and core pears and apple. Slice thinly lengthwise and place in a large heatproof bowl. Add apricots and figs. Pour hot sugar syrup on top, making sure all the fruit is covered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; poke a few holes in plastic. Chill overnight in refrigerator.
2. The next morning, using a slotted spoon ladle fruit into a serving bowl and serve.
NY TImes