Dried apricots are basically a bundle of nutrients squeezed into juicy, amber baubles. Good for all things dermal and duodenal *inappropriate wink*.
These soft saffron apricots with sticky mandarin sauce is what I am waking up to every morning this week.
I noticed there’s a preposterous difference between bright orange apricots and dark apricots. The dark dried ones have no preservatives, and taste considerably better than the bright orange ones. But they are also hard on the wallet, like saffron.
Don’t go buying saffron especially for this recipe my friends. Chances are, someone you know will have a jar of saffron, and often no idea what to do with it. Go get it!
Saffron Apricots with pistachio yoghurt and mandarin sauce
A highfive for Anna Jones, who inspired this version of lickystickyummy.
250g dark dried apricots
a good pinch of saffron strands
Juice from 6 mandarins
1 cup Greek yoghurt
Handful of shelled pistachio
Heat the apricots, saffron and mandarin juice in a small saucepan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the apricots are plush. The timing will depend on how hard the apricots were in the first place. If you bought semi dried apricots, simply simmer for 5 minutes instead.
Serve right away with thick clouds of yoghurt and smashed pistachios, or cool and refrigerate until needed (for up to 8 days). Trickle in some orange blossom water for a good Persian smack, if you have some in your cupboard.
