Apricot Sauce

Capture the succulent, sweet nature of apricots in this sauce paired with bright notes of citrus, a touch of spice and the gentle heat from horseradish left lingering on your palate. It’s one gorgeous and delectable addition to your table!

Sauces elevate most any dish. Whether it’s a dessert, a side of vegetables or a gorgeous piece of tenderloin, a sauce can be the perfect accessory. While looking for a sauce to compliment pork tenderloin, I started digging through some of the vintage cookbooks on my shelves. This discovery turned out to be an “ode” to both of my Grandmothers. I stumbled upon two versions of this recipe in my Grace Pearl’s cookbooks, originally published in 1931. This sauce is a blending of those two apricot sauce recipes I found nestled among the pages.

Grace Pearl, second from left along with my Dad, Grandad and Great Grandparents at the Powell ranch. Those were two strong women who were both excellent cooks!

Tassie Mae, my Mom’s Mother, along with my Grandfather grew luscious apricots that we devoured as kids. I still struggle to find fresh apricots that match that sweet memory. But this sauce is a delicious reminder of those delicate stone fruits they lovingly grew.

I keep dried apricots on hand for snacking or as an addition to a cheese board topped with blue cheese. They’re also wonderful chopped up and tossed into quick breads. But it had never really occurred to me to transform them into a sauce until I stumbled across these recipes. And the result tastes as if you had stepped outside and picked them fresh off the tree.

Use quality dried apricots, fruit that appears plump. They are widely available at many farmer’s markets and specialty food markets. Add brightness with fresh lemon and orange plus a subtle note of spice from Chinese five-spice, traditionally made from a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechwan pepper and fennel. A large dollop of creamy horseradish brings that delightful heat without overwhelming the apricots.

After steeping the apricots in water, purée them with the sugar, spices, citrus, and horseradish.

It’s such an easy sauce to make, coming together in less than an hour.

It’s a tantalizing addition to any meat, including pork tenderloin, chicken, pork chops, or ham.

Apricot Sauce

1-½ cups dried apricots

3 cups water

½ cup sugar

Zest of 1 lemon, about 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Zest of 1 orange, about 2 teaspoons

2 tablespoons creamy horseradish (not horseradish sauce)

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice

Combine the dried apricots and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 40 minutes.

Cool for about 10 to 15 minutes. Reserving the cooking water, scoop out the apricots using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of the cooking water.

Add the sugar plus the lemon zest, lemon juice and orange zest. Toss in the horseradish and the Chinese five-spice.

Process the apricots starting on low speed then raise to medium speed. Blend for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce is fairly smooth. If you like a thinner sauce just add more of the cooking water.

Don’t toss out the apricot infused water, use it to cook wild rice or couscous, adding a subtle apricot sweetness. Serve the sauce warm or at room temperature. Keeps refrigerated for one week.

Makes about 2-½ cups of sauce.