POACHED PEACH AND BERRY STRUDEL
SERVES 6 For the poached peaches
5 ripe peaches (about 780g) 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped 1T lemon juice
60g caster sugar
300g mixed blackcurrants and redcurrants, plus extra to garnish
4 sheets filo pastry
60g melted butter
50g ground almonds
50g demerara sugar
25g flaked almonds
To serve Clotted cream or crème fraîche
heat the oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C/mark 4. Cut each peach into 6 or 8 wedges, discarding the stones. Put them into a large, shallow pan with the vanilla seeds, lemon juice and sugar. If the peaches aren’t very juicy, add 1 to 2T water. Cook over a low to medium heat, semi-covered, for about 5 minutes, until the peaches are really soft, but still holding their shape. add the berries and stir well, then cook together for another minute so they begin to release their juices. remove from the heat and strain, keeping any juices.
Brush both sides of a sheet of filo pastry with melted butter and lay it on a large baking sheet. Mix the ground almonds and demerara sugar together and sprinkle about a quarter of the mixture over the sheet of pastry. repeat with the next three sheets, making sure you butter generously on both sides and top with the sugar almond mixture. Put the peaches and berries in a line along one of the long sides of the top filo sheet and roll them up, like a swiss roll, ending with the seam on the underside. sprinkle flaked almonds all over the top and sides, and tuck any escaping fruit back inside at either end. using a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife, pierce holes along the length of the roll. This will help the filo layers crisp up in the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes until crisp and brown. Cut into thick slices and garnish with the extra berries as desired. serve while it is still hot.