From the pantry: Apricots

Relative to peaches, apricot has velvety skin and flesh, but is not too juicy, making it a perfect addition to

desserts. Apricots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, C and beta-carotene. In this edition, our expert chef uses apricot jelly as a stuffing, and the winning reader recipe turns it into a traditional spread, made during autumn.

Chicken Roulade Stuffed with Apricot Jelly

Recipe by: Mukul Jha, executive chef, Four Points by Sheraton, Vashi

Ingredients

Serves: Two

Preparation time: 30 minutes

- Chicken breast: 150g

- Dry apricots: 100g

- Rocket lettuce: 5g

- Balsamic reduction: 5ml

- Salt: 2g

- Pepper: 3g

- Gelatine: 10g

- Cherry tomatoes: 3

- Fresh coriander: 5g

- Garlic: 6g

- Olive oil: 10ml

Method

* Boil dry apricots in water, puree and keep aside.

* Add soaked gelatin to the apricot puree and set it to form a cylindrical shape and freeze it in the refrigerator until set.

* Take the chicken breast and cut it into scallops (butterfly) and season with salt, pepper, chopped garlic and olive oil.

* Place the frozen apricot sticks between the chicken breast and roll it tightly to form a roulade. Roll in fresh wrap and then in the aluminium foil and poach it in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.

* Place the roulade into refrigerator until its frozen.

* Cut the roulade into slices and crust it with chopped fresh coriander.

* Tuck in refreshed rocket lettuce (rocket lettuce kept in iced water) at the sides of each cut slice topped with cherry tomatoes.

* Garnish with balsamic reduction.

Winning reader recipe: Ischlerd cookies with lekvar (a European fruit butter)

(Photo: Simmi Sareen)

Recipe by: Simmi Sareen

Serves: Three

Preparation time: 2 hours

Ingredients

(For lekvar)

- Apricots (deseeded): 230g

- Water: 1 cup

- Sugar: 11/2cup

- Lime: 1

- Apricot brandy: 1 tsp

(For Ischlerd cookies)

- Salted butter: 110g

- Ground almonds: 100g

- Caster sugar: 60g

- Plain flour: 110g

- Milk: 1 tbsp

- Vanilla extract: 1/2 tspn Combine apricots with one cup water in a saucepan and allow it to soak for a few hours.

Method

* After two hours, cover the saucepan with a lid and cook it for 20 to 30 minutes on the lowest heat possible.

* Keep a watch on the pan towards the end of cooking time, to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

* Once the mixture cools, put it in a blender with sugar, zest and juice of a lime and apricot brandy.

* Blend until smooth, and pop it back in the saucepan to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

* Store in a glass bottle and put it in the fridge to use it as crepe filling or as a tasty spread for your toast.

* To make the cookies, mix ground almonds with caster sugar.

* Add the softened butter and mix until everything is well blended.

* Add vanilla extract and milk to the mixture.

* Finally add plain flour and mix/knead lightly until it comes together as dough.

* Divide into two halves and wrap each in cling wrap, then let chill in the fridge for an hour.

* Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.

* Roll out the dough as thin as you can and cut out round cookies.

* Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake until the cookies start to brown at the edges.

* Let the cookies cool, then sandwich with apricot spread.

For the next edition of From The Pantry, email us recipes made using Mustard Leaf (Saag) (send a high-res photo of your dish, a photo of yourself, along with your name, address and contact number) at 48hours@hindustantimes.com. The best recipe wins an exciting prize.

Soutrce : Hindusthan Times