Saturday, July 14, 2012

Summer Roasted Fruit


I recently say a picture of a plate of roasted apricots each with a shiny, sugary glisten and an inviting dollop of Marscapone cheese.  I knew this was something I had to make and my bowl of nectarines and peaches were ready for their close up.
I will admit until recently I didn't own a classic cast-iron skillet, the ideal pan for this project.  Isn't a cast-iron pan a classic item to have in one's kitchen?  Back to my fruit.  My preference is to use peaches and nectarines, but plums and apricots would work as well.  You'll want to dip each "open front" fruit half in some sugar for the caramelizing and roast  bottom side down.  You could also grill the fruit which is just as delicious.  The fruit remains bottom side up while roasting, but if grilling is your preference, just give the fruit halves a quick turn while grilling so you can achieve some nice grill stripes on the open fronts.  My tip for slicing and removing the stone from the center is to  run your knife horizontally not vertically around the fruit and give a slight twist to separate.  The fruit halves are prettier, more rounded.  An added bonus to roasting or grilling stone fruit -- the center of each half becomes a natural "bowl," ideal for some cold ice cream to balance with the softness and warmth of the fruit.
The following a recipe adapted from Joy the Baker
Serves 4
4 peaches,  halved and stones removed - could also use plums or nectarines
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Topping
1/2 cup marscarpone cheese
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped mint

Preheat broiler.  Place sugar in a shallow bowl.  Dip fruit halves in sugar and place in a oven safe pan.  Place dish under the broiler and bake for 3 to 4 minutes.  Keep an eye on the fruit, and carefully rotate the pan as necessary.  Sugar will melt, boil and begin to brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

For the topping:
In a small bowl, mix honey into mascarpone cheese.  Place slightly cooled fruit on a plate.  Top with a dollop of mascarpone mixture, and a sprinkling of fresh mint and serve.