Rutherford & Meyer » Ideas for Use > Fruit Pastes & Pâtés

Fruit Pastes are incredibly versatile. As well as a wonderful addition to any cheese board they are a flavoursome ingredient in cooking. They are fantastic served with hot & cold meats, make a flavoursome addition to sauces, and can be melted to make a glaze for pastry or meat.

Pear Paste: Divine with a creamy blue cheese
Quince Paste: Fantastic with mild cheese or a soft creamy blue
Apricot Paste: Great with soft white cheese such as brie and camembert
Fig Paste: Superb with goat or sheep milk cheese or a creamy blue
Plum Paste: Perfect with aged cheddars and goudas

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Pear Paste

Pear & Ginger Pork Spareribs

Combine 1T soya sauce, 1 1/2t chopped ginger, 1t chilli, 1/2 4oz/120g container chopped pear paste, 2T wine and 1/2C water.
Pour over spareribs. Bake for 45 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC. Baste frequently during cooking.

Pork Fillets with Sweet Potato & Pear Stuffing

Peel & boil 2 small sweet potato (kumara) until tender.
Blend kumara with half round of pear paste until smooth.
Season with salt & pepper.
When mix is cool spoon onto 2 small flattened pork fillets.
Roll each fillet around the stuffing and tie with string at close intervals so it does not burst open.
Roast at 395ºF/200ºC for 30-35 minutes. Serve with jus.

Quince Paste

Garnish steak by placing a slice of quince paste & blue cheese on top of the steak once cooked – divine!

Quince Paste Chocolates (Recipe courtesy of Chef Ruth Pretty, Wellington, New Zealand)

Place 5.3 – 7.1oz/ 150-200g dark chocolate (70% if possible) into a small bowl and sit over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the pot fits the bowl tightly so that steam doesn’t fall back into chocolate.
When the chocolate is half melted, remove bowl from pot and stir until chocolate is fully melted.
Take 5.3oz/ 150g quince paste. Trim and cut to make approx. 20 x 1.5cm/0.6” cubes.
Dip quince paste cubes into chocolate. A chocolate dipping swirl will make this job simple.
Lift chocolates out and gently tap on side of bowl to remove excess chocolate.
Place onto a tray lined with Teflon or aluminium foil.
Place a pistachio (lightly toasted) onto each chocolate, and leave in a cool place to set.
Store in refrigerator in a plastic container with a firm-fitting lid with wax paper between each layer for up to one week.

Filo Tarts with feta, quince paste and preserved lemon

Butter 4 sheets of filo pastry and layer on top of each other.
Cut into 12 even squares.
Line a 12 hole mini muffin pan with the squares.
In a bowl combine 3.5oz/100g finely chopped quince paste, 3.5oz/100g finely chopped goat’s feta, and the rinsed, finely chopped rind of half a preserved lemon.
Fill filo cases with the mix and bake for 350ºF/180ºC for 10 mins.

Pear, Quince & Chocolate Pizza (Recipe courtesy of Peter Gordon)

Make a sweet pizza base.
Make 6 small pizzas and place on lightly greased baking tray.
Peel and core and slice 2 pears into 12 wedges each.
Briefly poach in 2 cups water and 1/2cup sugar.
Remove from poaching water and cool.
Divide 5.3oz/150g bitter chocolate that's been roughly chopped between bases, then arrange pears around the base and finally place 11"/4 1/2cm cubes of quince paste.
Leave in warm place for 10 mins and then cook for about 20 mins at 395ºF/200ºC.
Serve with double cream or marscapone.

Quince Aioli — the perfect accompaniment to lamb or pork

In a food processor, blend 8.8oz/250g quince paste with 1 crushed garlic clove.
Slowly drizzle in 2.5oz/75ml olive oil and 2.5oz/75ml canola or sunflower oil while still blending.
Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Apricot Paste

Divine Glaze

Simply add apricot paste to jus from cooking chicken, making sure not to boil the jus.
Brush over chicken during cooking to create a lovely rich glaze.

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Slice deep horizontal cut into breast cavity.
Line breast with blanched spinach and a layer of nut mix.
Insert a thick slice of Brick (rind washed cheese) into breast cavity with medium slice of apricot paste.
Cook for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Serve on vegetable greens with jus that has developed as the chicken cooked.

Apricot Paste & Brie Bonbons

Butter filo sheets and layer 3 sheets of filo on top of each other.
Cut lengthwise into 2 strips.
Place a medium slice of apricot paste & a thick slice of brie in middle pastry.
Fold into desired shape – bonbon with scrunched top or triangle parcel.

Fig Paste

Goat Cheese & Fig Fold-Overs (Recipe courtesy of Michael Bonacini, Chef & Co-owner, Oliver Bonacini Restaurants, Toronto, Canada)

This is a great little canapé for holiday cocktail parties. Make them ahead of time and keep refrigerated. Then just slip them into the oven when your guests arrive. Try using blue cheese or feta as an alternative to the goat cheese – all are excellent!

1 pack filo pastry, 1⁄2 cup aged goat cheese, 1 tub fig paste, 18 walnut halves, 3 tablespoons butter, melted.
Cut sheets of filo into 3 1⁄2” (9cm) squares. Brush with melted butter.
Place a small cube of goats cheese (approx. 0.6”/1.5cm) into the centre, top with a thin slice of fig paste and a walnut half.
Fold the filo corner to corner to create a neat triangle. Press down firmly and brush exterior with melted butter.
Place on a non stick baking sheet and in a preheated oven at 350°F/ 180°C for 7-8mins, until light golden brown.
Allow to cool for a few moments. Serve slightly warm.

Stir Fry Sauce

Combine 1.7oz/50g chopped fig paste, 2T grated root ginger, 1t balsamic vinegar & 2-3t garlic flavoured chilli sauce.
Sear finely chopped pieces of beef.
Add sauce and toss until sauce has reduced.

Divine Glaze

Simply add fig paste to jus from cooking lamb or beef, making sure not to boil the jus.
Brush over meat during cooking to create a lovely rich glaze.

Plum Paste

Prosciutto with Soft White Goat's Cheese & Plum Paste(Recipe courtesy of Julie Biuso)

Slice a small baguette (walnut bread or French bread) thinly & spread only one side with butter.
Put bread slices on a baking tray, bake in oven preheated to 350ºF/180° C for 7-10 mins, or until golden.
Cool, then store in an airtight container until required.
To serve, bring 10.5oz/300g thinly sliced prosciutto and 2 small goat's cheeses to room temperature.
Cut 4oz/120g plum paste into cubes or thin slices.
Arrange ingredients on individual plates, cutting goat's cheese into thirds, and drizzle with lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil.
Alternatively, serve the goat's cheeses on one plate and drizzle them with oil.
Put toasted bread rounds, sliced plum paste & prosciutto, arranged in curls, on another plate.

Brandied Plum Sauce

Combine 1.7oz/50g plum paste, long curls of orange zest and juice of 1 orange and melt gently.
Leave to cool, then add 5T of brandy.
Leave sauce overnight to enhance flavours.
Pour over steamed fruit pudding such as Christmas Pudding.

The individual flavours match wonderfully with different cheeses to create intense flavour combinations. As well as this pates are fantastic used in cooking. They make a tasty accompaniment to meat, fish and chicken dishes. Simmered with meat juices, they produce a wonderful glaze to spoon over a favourite meat.

Apple Pate: Wonderful with blue cheeses
Apricot Pate: Yummy with bries and sweet blues
Lemon Pate: Tasty with goats cheese and parmagino regiano
Blackcurrant Pate: Fabulous with strong cheddars and soft cheeses

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