| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 6 hr 10 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 6 hr |
| Yield: | Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello |
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 large pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Measure 2 tablespoons lemon juice into a large non-reactive bowl. Add the fruit to the bowl and toss to coat.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a non-reactive roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Cook until it stops foaming and turns light brown. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, vinegar, remaining lemon juice, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stir well until the sugar has melted, and simmer until slightly reduced.
- Season the cut fruit with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour into the roasting pan. Stir well until evenly coated.
- Spread the fruit into a single layer and place in the oven. Let cook slowly about 6 hours, turning the pieces over every hour for at least the first 3 hours. To test whether the fruit is ready, remove a piece after 2 hours and let cool for a few minutes. Taste to see if the flavor is intense enough for your palate. Do not let the fruit get as dry as a fruit leather. It should still be moist and flexible. Remove any pieces that are done before the rest. Remove from the oven, let cool completely, and store in a tightly sealed container.
- Refrigerate, if not consumed within 2 days. Let come to room temperature or warm gently before serving, if refrigerated. The fruit will keep a week or more in the refrigerator.
- Cook’s Note: Oven-drying is a technique for intensifying flavor. If the fruit is watery, it may take up to 8 hours to dry. If the fruit is at its peak, ripe, and firm, it may take far less time.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 242 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 37 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 15 mg |
| Sodium | 640 mg |
Reviews
Delicious, and so different. I was a bit wary……6 hours in the oven seemed like too much…..but it really works. After an hour the amount of liquid that comes out of the apples is a little scary, but it all goes away, leaving this sticky sauce that is tart and sweet. Served this with a homemade gnocchi dish for a dinner party and it was a success. Some were skeptical, but loved it after the first bite. One guest suggested serving it with a chocolate sauce. I will give this a try next time.
This is amazing for dessert as featured on the show. I also recently pounded out some chicken breasts, spread with a goat cheese mixture, rolled, and baked. Then I served this braised fruit as a topping for the chicken. It was so good! I imagine it would be great over a pork roast as well. Whatever you use it for, you’ll love it.
There’s only one tweek I’d give this recipe–make a double batch cause it will be difficult to let it get to the table before you eat most, if not, all of it. The trouble is with the taste testing to see if the fruit is where you want it. I couldn’t have just one. And those small slices, well I dutifully, as the recipe calls for, pulled them out. Trouble was, they never made it to the plate.
I was looking for a way to get a little more fruit in my diet. This is amazing! The balsamic glaze is outstanding and goes really well with the oven-dried fruit. It is absolutely delicious
I just made this up for tonights meal. The sauce is so good that I could drink it straight! Once I had the sauce and fruit combined, I pulled some of the pears out and ate them raw witht he sauce. HEAVEN!!!
This recipe adds a whole other deminsion to “sweet”. You have to try this, very delicious!
Wonderful, rich flavor…very unique