Poaching fruit in wine is a favourite dessert in my house. It is healthy and you are able to change both the fruit to suit the season and the wine to suit the fruit. In winter tamarillos afford a colourful and tasty change from the delicate pip fruit also in season. Tamarillos somewhat gutsy flavour needs a wine that can stand up to the fruit, so I have chosen a fruity cabernet merlot. The resulting syrup is delicious soaked up with the Coconut Cake.

Ingredients

• 750 ml bottle fruity-styled cabernet merlot
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 tamarillos
• 2 vanilla pods
• 2 whole star anise

Method

1. Combine the wine and sugar in a large saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla pod and star anise and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
2. Add the tamarillos and simmer very gently for 5 minutes.
3. Remove saucepan form the heat, cover and allow the tamarillos to stand in the poaching liquid for 1 hour. Remove the tamarillos and when cool enough to handle, peel carefully.
4. Boil the poaching liquid rapidly until reduced by half and cool. Return the tamarillos to this and allow to stand for one hour before serving. If you can leave the tamarillos overnight, you will achieve a deeper flavour. Serve at room temperature with a wedge of Coconut Syrup Cake.

Cooks Tips

Use honey in place of sugar. Try apples, pears or nashi. These fruit will need to be poached for about 20-30 minutes before being removed from the heat. Peel before poaching. In summer use apricots and peaches and poach for about 10-15 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer.