Oven-Baked Stewed Fruit: A Simple, Flavorful Recipe for Breakfast

Here is a recipe I’m making today for stewed fruit, for example.  Most people actually ‘stew’ it in a container on top of the stove, so the heat comes from below. This makes the result a bit sloppy. It looks pre-digested. The fruit loses its structure.

My recipe is ‘in the oven’. I learnt this a long time ago from an old shearer’s cook.  Here ’tis:

INGREDIENTS:

Start with SEASONAL fruits.  For example…in Autumn try

• 450g Pears
• 400g Apples
• 300g Rhubarb
• 300g Sugar
• 80ml Water

EQUIPMENT:

1x Oven-proof dish (mine’s oval) approx. 27x20x5cm deep.

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175-200C
2. Cut plums in half, remove stones
3. Core and slice the apples, roughly mix the two fruit types together
4. Place fruit in oven-proof dish, pour in water, sprinkle sugar on top, heat on stove top till water boils, place in oven.
5. Allow to cook for 30 minutes.

Test fruit with the point of a knife to see if it’s tender whilst still holding shape. Timing will depend on type of fruit and degree of ripeness. Rhubarb, for example, can be checked after 15-20 minutes.

Serve the stewed fruit for breakfast with muesli or breakfast cereal.

The real secret of cooking is: don’t mess about, let the ingredients do the talking.

CFC