Apricots Graced by Blackcurrant Sauce

Mark gave me a cook book called "Table for Two - French recipes for romantic dining" last Valentine's day as a present. However, knowing French cuisine as one of the top cuisines in the world (and probably the best :)), is not very easy to make. Although Rustan's have a whole area of imported goods, there are ingredients that are still hard to find. So for months the photos in the book were just eyecandies.

I went to a Saturday market close to our condo (called Salcedo Market) where they sell a wide range of specialty products and organic stuff. It's an upscale market, quite pricey than normal supermarkets. I always come home with a painful pocket after every visit to that market, but that's because I go crazy with organic vegetables and rare (if not seasonal) fruits I don't normally find in my favorite supermarket. So I found blackcurrant. It was puzzling in the beginning that people, including the seller, referred to it as blue berry (which is bigger than the black currant). But I guess it's a common mistake since this is not grown locally. I didn't have an idea what to use it for - I just bought it because I found them cute, and thought I could use it in my food photography. But then, it would be such a waste if its sole purpose was just for photos. I must admit too, that I find it boring to eat it as is. Luckily, the recipe book have a recipe which uses black currant. The best part is, it's not complicated to prepare.

So here's a simple sweet dessert idea that you might want to try in case you encounter blackcurrant in your favorite markets.

Apricots in Blackcurrant sauce

Note: The original recipe made use of peaches, but I'd like to personalize and experiment a little bit that's why I used apricots versus peaches.

Ingredients:
- canned apricots (or peaches)
- 200g blackcurrants
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- fresh mint leaves

1. Wash and drain the blackcurrants. Puree it in a blender.
2. Transfer to a small pot and bring it to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat when it boils and simmer. Add sugar. Then let it cool down.
4. Chill the blackcurrant sauce.
5. Set your canned apricots (or peaches) on a dessert bowl and surround it with the chilled blackcurrant sauce.
6. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.

Be careful not to splash blackcurrant extract on your clothes when you puree because it will stain. Also, when you accidentally spill it on your counter top, make sure you wipe it quickly as it also stains when left too long. I learned it the hard way.