In season: Apples & pears from South Africa

Award-winning South African chef, Reuben Riffel, has created a selection of fresh, summer recipes to celebrate the new South African apple and pear season.

From April throughout to September delicious varieties of apples and pears from South Africa are widely available in UK supermarkets. Varieties such as the crunchy Granny Smith apples and sweet, smooth Bon Chretin pears feature during this time.

These recipes are free to use in your publication. Contact details can be found at the end of the release.

 

Apples and Gorgonzola in filo pastry 

 

Serves 6

 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes                                                                

 

Cooking Time: 12 minutes                                                                    

 

Ingredients

6 sheets of filo pastry, cut in half lengthways

50g butter, melted

2 South African apples, cored and chopped

2oz walnuts, roughly chopped

150g gorgonzola cheese, chopped into chunks

1 egg, beaten

2-3 tbsp olive oil, for frying

 

To serve: Rocket leaves

Method

1. Lay 2 strips of filo pastry together and brush with butter
   
2. Mix together the apples, walnuts and cheese. Share the mixture into 6 equal portions.
   
3. Place one quantity of the mixture at the top of the buttered filo pastry strips and fold over repeatedly to make a triangular shape to enclose all the filling (like samosas). Brush with egg and set aside.
   
4. Repeat with the remaining pastry, butter and filling to make 6 triangles in total
   
5. Fry in batches in hot olive oil – cook for approx 2 minutes each side, and then drain on kitchen paper.
   
6. Serve while hot, garnished with rocket.

 

 

Pear, Brie & Pecan Salad 

 

Serves 4

 

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes

 

Cooking time: 0 minutes                              

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

Malt vinaigrette

2 tbsp malt vinegar

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Salad

2 South African pears, peeled, halved and cored

Handful of watercress leaves

Handful of baby spinach

Handful of rocket leaves

1 large handful white and red seedless grapes, halved

1 handful pecans

4oz brie, at room temperature, cut into small cubes

 

Method

1. Make the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, olive oil and maple syrup together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
2. Make the salad: Slice the pear halves into four. Toss the watercress, spinach, rocket, grapes and pecans with 2/3 of the vinaigrette to coat. Dip the sliced pears in the remaining vinaigrette.
   
3.  

1. To Serve: Arrange the dressed salad leaves, grapes and pecans on 4 serving plates. Allocating half a pear per plate, arrange the dressed slices on top of the leaves. Add the brie to finish and serve immediately.
   

 

 

Caramelised apple and calvados soufflés

 

Serves 4

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

 

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes                                  

 

 

 

Ingredients

Caramelised apples

20g unsalted butter

2 South African Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eights

50g icing sugar

1½ tbsp Calvados

2 tbsp double cream

330ml milk

3 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler

80g caster sugar

50g plain flour

20g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

20ml Calvados

2 eggs, separated, plus 1 egg white

Pinch of salt

For dusting: icing sugar

 

Method

1. For the caramelised apples, heat butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add apples and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden. Sieve over icing sugar, toss to coat and cook over a low heat for another 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until caramelised. Add Calvados, simmer for 2 minutes or until reduced, add cream and cook for 1 minute or until thick. Share between four deep buttered ramekins and set aside.
   
2. Preheat oven to 180°C, fan oven 160°C, Gas Mark 4. Heat 250ml milk and lemon rind in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
   
3. Meanwhile, combine 60g sugar, flour and remaining milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Remove lemon rind from hot milk. Pour over flour mixture, whisk to combine and return to pan. Whisk over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, add butter and mix to combine.
   
4. Stand for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent a skin from forming, then add Calvados and egg yolks and whisk to combine.
   
5. In a grease-free bowl and with scrupulously clean beaters, whisk egg whites and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar and whisk until firm peaks form.
   
6. Fold ⅓ of egg whites into mixture until just combined to loosen it, and then fold through remaining egg whites. Spoon into the ramekins.
   
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until risen and golden. Serve, dusted with icing sugar.