BBQ Bistro: Simple, Sophisticated French Recipes for Your Grill (2015)
CHAPTER 14
LES DESSERTS & LES FRUITS FRAIS
DESSERT & FRUITS
Grilled Apple Rings with Sauce Normande
Grilled Pêche Melba with Crushed Raspberries and Crème de Cassis
Grilled Apricot and Plum Skewers with Almond Chantilly
Grilled Pound Cake with Strawberry Compote
Grilled Figs and Pears with Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche
SIDEBAR: Homemade Refrigerator Jam
SIDEBAR: Dessert Tartines
Fresh fruit is a lovely and lighter way to end a meal, especially if the fruit caramelizes—just a little—on the grill.
Naturally soft fruits, such as apricots, peaches, plums, figs, and nectarines, are best grilled cut in half. Firmer fruits, such as apples and pears, can be cut in half, sliced, or cored, and cut into rings or wedges for grilling. Clusters of grilled grapes make a wonderful addition to a cheese platter or a light dessert with Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche (page 33).
The simplest way to prepare whole or cut fruit for grilling is cook it naked over the fire. If you like, you can brush it with mild olive oil (not extra-virgin), grapeseed oil, or other vegetable oil. Melted butter is also delicious; it won’t have time to burn, because you grill fruit for only a few minutes per cut side.
As quickly as fruit grills, so does bread. Make sure to try some of the Dessert Tartines (page 211) for grilled baguette or brioche with sweet dessert toppings. Also, the Homemade Refrigerator Jam (page 208) is a quick jam that you can make in about 20 minutes. It will make you feel so smug serving this to your friends.
And then you have a new pantheon of French dessert accompaniments to serve with your grilled fruit. Sauce Normande (page 202), flavored with Calvados and cream, is wonderful with grilled apples. Fresh raspberries crushed with crème de cassis update a Grilled Pêche Melba (page 203). And Almond Chantilly, or almond-flavored sweetened whipped cream, is delightful with Grilled Apricot and Plum Skewers (page 204).
GRILLED APPLE RINGS WITH SAUCE NORMANDE
FOR EATING OUT OF HAND, YOU WANT A CRISP, TART APPLE. BUT FOR GRILLING, YOU want a softer, sweeter apple, such as a Golden Delicious, that will soften but not crack or fall apart. These grilled apple slices go well for dessert or they pair as a side dish with grilled or smoked game birds, poultry, or pork. If you like, serve these grilled apple rings with a frozen treat with the flavors of autumn—cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or caramel ice cream. Drizzle extra Sauce Normande over all.
SERVES 4
Sauce Normande
½ cup (125 ml) apple cider
½ cup (125 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (or more) Calvados, applejack, or bourbon
4 Golden Delicious apples (about 1½ pounds/750 g)
For the Sauce Normande, pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat; boil until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and Calvados. Set aside.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
Using an apple corer, remove cores from the apples. Cut the apples into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) rings. Place the rings on a baking sheet and brush one side with some of the sauce. Place the apples, basted-side down, on the grill. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, basting with the sauce and turning once, until the apples have good grill marks on both sides. Serve warm or at room temperature with additional sauce drizzled over all.
VARIATION:
Pears, nectarines, plums, and peaches are also good grilled with this sauce. Simply pit the fruit, cut it into quarters, brush with the sauce, and grill.
GRILLED PÊCHE MELBA WITH CRUSHED RASPBERRIES AND CRÈME DE CASSIS
AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER CREATED PEACH MELBA IN HONOR OF AUSTRALIAN OPERA singer Nellie Melba, and it has become a classic. Celebrate any occasion with our grilled version when fresh, juicy peaches are at summer’s peak of ripeness. On the grill they get a boost of warmth and caramelization. The crushed raspberries are simple to prepare without forsaking a soupçon of flavor.
SERVES 4 TO 8
2 cups (500 ml) raspberries
2 to 3 tablespoons crème de cassis or raspberry liqueur
Pinch of sea salt
4 large firm, ripe peaches or nectarines, unpeeled and halved (about 1½ pounds/750 g)
1 quart (1 L) French vanilla ice cream
Prepare the raspberries by placing them in a small bowl. Crush the raspberries and stir in the crème de cassis and salt. Set aside.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
Place the peaches, cut-side down, on the grill. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes, on one side only, until the peaches are tender and blistered.
Arrange the peaches on a platter or portion into shallow glass bowls. Spoon the crushed raspberries over the peaches. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
GRILLED APRICOT AND PLUM SKEWERS WITH ALMOND CHANTILLY
FRESH APRICOTS USUALLY PROMISE MORE THAN THEY CAN DELIVER, BUT NOT IN this recipe. For a fetching rustic look for this delicious dessert, choose sturdy lavender branches or campfire sticks and apricots and plums that are about the same size. If using lavender branches, there may be room for only one fruit per branch. Make sure to strip 2 or 3 inches (5 or 7.5 cm) of lavender leaves off the bottom of the branch. The branches or sticks should be fresh and green inside so they don’t burn; if they are dry, soak them for 30 minutes before skewering the fruit.
SERVES 8
8 lavender branches or campfire sticks about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) long
Almond Chantilly
1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
8 firm apricots, halved (about 2 pounds/1 kg)
8 firm purple plums, halved (about 2 pounds/1 kg)
¼ cup (56 g) butter, melted
1 cup (140 g) blackberries, for garnish
Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
For the Almond Chantilly, beat the cream, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Keep cold.
Thread the apricots and plums on branches or sticks so that they look like whole fruit, two cut sides together, leaving space between the “whole” fruits. Brush with butter.
Grill the skewers for 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until the fruit begins to soften and has a scorched exterior. Serve each skewer with a dollop of Almond Chantilly and a scattering of blackberries.
GRILLED POUND CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
ATRADITIONAL POUND CAKE IS CALLED QUATRE-QUARTS OR FOUR-FOURTHS IN French, meaning it has equal weights of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs in the recipe. Whether you make your own or buy a pound cake, this dessert is perfect in the spring or summer. Melt your favorite kind of jam, such as strawberry or blackberry, add the grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and some fresh crushed berries, and you have compote! This can do double duty as a dessert or a breakfast dish.
SERVES 8 TO 12
Strawberry Compote
1 pound (450 g) strawberries
¼ cup (50 ml) strawberry jam or preserves
1 lemon
1 pound cake (store-bought or homemade), cut into ½-inch-thick (1 cm) slices
¼ cup (125 g) melted butter
8 to 12 sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish
For the Strawberry Compote, hull the strawberries and slice in half. In a small saucepan, melt the jam and add the zest and juice of the lemon. Add half the strawberries and simmer for about 5 minutes, crushing the strawberries and stirring until it is somewhat thick. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the strawberries and stir to coat. Set aside.
Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.
Brush the pound cake lightly with butter on both sides. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until there are light golden brown grill marks on both sides. Serve the grilled pound cake with spoonfuls of the Strawberry Compote and top each dessert with a sprig of fresh mint.
VARIATION:
Substitute angel food cake for the pound cake, but it do not brush it with butter. The angel food cake will get nice grill marks in 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with Strawberry Compote, a scoop of vanilla or strawberry ice cream, and a sprig of mint. Pistachio ice cream would be sensational, too.
GRILLED FIGS AND PEARS WITH BROWN SUGAR CRÈME FRAÎCHE
FRESH GREEN CALIMYRNA FIGS ARE ESPECIALLY NICE FOR THIS DISH. NECTARINES, peaches, and apples would all be interesting substitutes for the figs. Pit or core the fruit and cut into quarters. Honeyed crème fraîche (just add a small amount of honey to crème fraîche) or the Almond Chantilly (page 33) would be nice toppings, too.
SERVES 4
¼ cup (50 ml) wildflower honey
Grated zest of 1 orange
6 fresh Calimyrna or Mission figs, halved lengthwise (about 2 pounds/1 kg)
2 pears cored and halved lengthwise (about 14 ounces/435 g)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche (page 33), prepared
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish
Prepare a hot fire in your grill.
In a bowl, combine the honey and orange zest. Set aside.
Grill figs and pears cut-side down for about 3 or 4 minutes or until there are good grill marks. Turn fruit over and close the grill lid. Grill for 2 or 3 minutes more until warmed all the way through.
Place the grilled figs and pears on a platter. Drizzle with orange honey and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and dollops of Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs.
HOMEMADE REFRIGERATOR JAM
Partly a sauce, partly a spoonable jam, this flavorful and colorful treat keeps for about a week in the refrigerator.
BUTTER-GRILLED BRIOCHE WITH HOMEMADE REFRIGERATOR JAM
For the brioche, butter the slices of brioche and grill for a couple of minutes on each side for a golden brown toast.
For the homemade refrigerator jam, in a small saucepan combine the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1½ cups (375 ml) sugar (or less if you like it less sweet), and 1 teaspoon instant tapioca and cook slow over medium-low heat. Add 3 cups (750 ml) of chopped fruit or berries like peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, or berries and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add a squeeze or two of freshly squeezed lemon juice and stir. Spoon the warm jam over the grilled brioche and smile.
The jam will keep for 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator.
DESSERT TARTINES
Remember when you were little and a special treat was cinnamon toast? It was good for breakfast, a snack, or even for dessert. In Belgium, homemade buttered bread served with chocolate sprinkles is the childhood snack. And when our cookbook club read Cooking for Mr. Latte, we fell in love with Amanda Hesser’s “Toasts with Chocolate and Fleur de Sel.” So here are some wonderful blueprint recipes for grilled baguette or brioche with sweet dessert toppings. Many of the toppings that accompany the fruit in this chapter are delicious on tartines, too, like the peaches and raspberries from Grilled Pêche Melba with Crushed Raspberries and Crème de Cassis (page 203).
A baguette or loaf of brioche forms the base of the tartine. Slice the baguettes on the diagonal about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Slice the brioche about ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Lightly brush the bread with olive oil or melted butter. Grill over a hot fire until you get good grill marks, about 2 or 3 minutes per side.
Then add any of the following toppings:
CHOCOLATE TARTINE: Place a piece of dark chocolate on top of the toasted bread and place on the indirect side of your grill with the lid closed for about 2 or 3 minutes until the chocolate melts. Sprinkle with a few grains of fleur de sel and serve.
STRAWBERRY TARTINE: Serve the toasted bread with a bowl of Strawberry Compote (page 207) for spooning on top.
HAZELNUT TARTINE: Serve the toasted bread with Nutella or other chocolate hazelnut spread and sprinkle with chopped, toasted hazelnuts and shaved dark chocolate.
GRILLED APPLE NORMANDE TARTINE: Place two Grilled Apple Rings (page 202) on each tartine and drizzle with more Sauce Normande.
GRILLED APPLE TARTINE WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE: Place two Grilled Apple Rings (page 202) on each tartine and drizzle with warm caramel sauce and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
GRILLED TARTINE WITH PEACHES, RED ONION, AND BASIL: Place two thin slices of red onion and two or three juicy peach slices on the toasted bread. Garnish with freshly chopped basil (or mint if you’d rather).
BROWN SUGAR CRÈME FRAÎCHE TARTINE: Dollop Brown Sugar Crème Fraîche (page 33) on each tartine and sprinkle with fresh raspberries or blueberries.
SPOON JAM TARTINE: Serve the toasted bread with your favorite homemade or high-quality jams or preserves with a dollop of Almond Chantilly (page 204).
LEMON CURD TARTINE: Serve the toasted bread with your favorite lemon curd, homemade or store-bought. Top with berries, sliced peaches, whipped cream, or all of these!