Yoghurt-honey creams with sweet tomato compote

Tomatoes take brilliantly to sweet treatment and here they team perfectly with a simple, honey-sweetened yoghurt. Cook soaked dried apricots in their place if you like, or make a compote from sliced fresh figs or strawberries. Add a pinch of powdered saffron to the cream when you heat it, for a dramatic yellow tinge.

Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1¾ tsp powdered gelatine
• 60 ml (¼ cup) water
• 200 ml pouring cream
• 90 g (¼ cup) honey
• 350 ml Greek-style yoghurt

Tomato compote

• 800 g firm ripe Roma tomatoes
• 250 g caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 375 ml (1½ cups) water
• 2 wide strips lemon peel, white pith removed

Freezing time 3 hours

Instructions

Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a small heatproof cup or bowl and stand for 5 minutes or until softened. Place the cup in a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat until gelatine has dissolved. Meanwhile combine the cream and honey in a saucepan and bring just to a simmer, stirring to combine well. Remove for the heat, stir in the gelatine mixture and cool to room temperature. Add the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture among four 300 ml glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

For the tomato compote, use a small, sharp knife to remove the stem end of the tomatoes and cut into 6 wedges. Cut a small cross in the base (pointed end) of each. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the tomatoes and cook for 30-40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain well then peel tomatoes. Combine the sugar and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 2-3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add the tomatoes and lemon peel, bring back to a simmer, then cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour or until liquid has reduced and thickened slightly and tomatoes are translucent. Remove from the heat and cool, discarding the cinnamon and lemon peel.

Serve the chilled creams with tomato compote spooned over.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Nick Banbury.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.