Winter Fruit Salad With Basil Syrup Recipes

Steps:

• Bring basil, sugar, peppercorns, salt, and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and let cool. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
• Working over a bowl, cut segments of grapefruits free of membranes. Combine pineapple, kiwifruit, and grapefruit in a large bowl; pour syrup and accumulated juices over fruit, and gently toss. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, before serving. Fruit can be combined 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Thirty minutes before serving, remove from refrigerator, and toss with syrup.

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, the ginger and vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon and 1 orange, add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.
• Meanwhile, peel the remaining oranges with a paring knife, cutting along the natural curve of the fruit. Hold an orange over a large bowl and cut along both sides of each membrane to free the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze each empty membrane to release the juices. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Add the mangoes, bananas, kiwis, kumquats and pomegranate seeds and gently toss. Pour the syrup over the fruit and chill overnight.
• Before serving, remove the citrus zest, ginger and vanilla pod. Spoon the fruit and syrup into bowls.
• To remove pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit into quarters, then break apart in a bowl of water. Skim off the pith that floats to the top and drain the seeds.

Steps:

• Tip the fruits and 700ml/11⁄4 pints cold water into a large saucepan. Add the honey and vanilla, scraping the seeds from the pod into the pan. Bring to the boil. Stir well, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly syrupy.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tea bag. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
• Discard the tea bag and vanilla pod, tip the fruits and liquid into a non-metallic bowl and pour over the lemon juice. Stir, then leave to cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve.