Nigel Slater’s recipe for grilled apricots with rose-petal syrup

Serves 3. Ready in 50 minutes

egg yolks 5

caster sugar 50g

vanilla paste or extract ½ tsp

sweet or dry marsala 35ml

double cream 125ml

apricots 9, halved and destoned

pistachios 2 tbsp, roughly chopped

For the syrup:w

caster sugar 100g

water 200ml

rose petals a handful

First make the syrup. Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a small pan, remove from the heat and drop in the rose petals. Set aside and leave to cool.

Fill a medium saucepan about a third-full of water. Find a heat-proof mixing bowl that will rest in the pan without touching the water. Place the pan over a moderate heat and bring the water to the boil.

Put the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl, then add the vanilla and beat to a creamy paste with a balloon whisk. Add the marsala and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and has swelled to three times its volume (expect this to take at least 10 minutes). When the mixture is thick, light and creamy, take off the heat and leave to cool.

In a cold bowl, whip the cream until thick enough to sit in soft folds – it should barely keep its shape – then fold gently into the cool custard. Leave it to chill in the fridge.

Get an overhead oven grill hot. Place the halved apricots hollow-side up in a single layer on a baking sheet. Strain the syrup to remove the rose petals, they have done their work, then spoon generously over the apricots. Slide the tin under the grill and leave until the fruit is soft and starting to colour. Spoon some of the custard into 3 shallow bowls and place the fruit on top. Scatter with pistachios and, if you wish, a few rose petals, dried or fresh.