Name: Amy & Tyson’s G&T Pear
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Gin & Tonic Sorbet; 350g caster sugar; 4 tbs gin; 1 lime, zested, juiced; 1 lemon, zested, juiced; 500ml (2 cups) tonic water; Juniper Meringue; ¼ tsp lime zest, dried; ¼ tsp lemon zest, dried; ¼ tsp orange zest, dried; ¼ tsp dried juniper berries; ¼ tsp coriander seeds; 4 egg whites, at room temperature; 1 pinch salt; 220g (1 cup) caster sugar; Sweet Pickled Pear; 1 lemon; 5 cloves; 1 tsp allspice berries, crushed; 5cm-piece ginger, thinly sliced; 250ml (1 cup) white wine vinegar; 2 cinnamon quills; 500g caster sugar; 6 pears, peeled, halved, cored

For more mouth-watering recipes from Australia’s favourite cooking show, pick up your copy of MKR The Cookbook 2017 today! Available at selected newsagents or supermarkets, or online here.

Ingredients

Gin & Tonic Sorbet

350g caster sugar

4 tbs gin

1 lime, zested, juiced

1 lemon, zested, juiced

500ml (2 cups) tonic water

Juniper Meringue

¼ tsp lime zest, dried

¼ tsp lemon zest, dried

¼ tsp orange zest, dried

¼ tsp dried juniper berries

¼ tsp coriander seeds

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1 pinch salt

220g (1 cup) caster sugar

Sweet Pickled Pear

1 lemon

5 cloves

1 tsp allspice berries, crushed

5cm-piece ginger, thinly sliced

250ml (1 cup) white wine vinegar

2 cinnamon quills

500g caster sugar

6 pears, peeled, halved, cored

Method

To make sorbet, place sugar and 300ml water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Churn in an ice cream maker until frozen. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, to make juniper meringue, preheat oven to 120C and line two oven trays with baking paper.

Place dried zests, juniper berries and coriander seeds in a small food processor and process until a fine powder. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tbs at a time and whisking well between each addition, until sugar dissolves. Continue to whisk on high speed for 3 minutes

Add ground zest and spice mixture and fold to combine. Spread onto prepared trays in a thin layer and place in oven. Reduce temperature to 90C and cook for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave meringue, with door ajar, to cool.

To make pickled pear, thinly peel lemon, making sure not to include any pith. Place peel in a saucepan with remaining ingredients, except pears, over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add pears and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Divide pears among serving bowls. Crumble meringue on top and serve with a scoop of sorbet.

COOK’S TIP

To make dried zest, spread on baking paper and leave to dry at room temperature for 24 hours.

That's Life