In order to make this stunning and mouthwatering dessert, sliced pineapples and mangoes are the real deal. These are caramelised alongside halved sweet bananas, before they are served with a choice of two granitas, one made from pureed watermelon and the other being a spicy orange, clove and ginger concoction.
Look around your pantry, your fridge, and your herb garden. When it comes to sides and combinations, grilled fruits offer endless possibilities.
Think grilled watermelon with feta cheese and fresh mint, smoky apple banana salsa or how about grilled habanero salsa et al. Grilling fruits elevates the whole experience to a whole new ethereal level. Endless flavours with untold surprises. The first time I grilled a mango, I could not believe the transformation of flavours. The nearly uber-sweet mango transformed into a complex, rich, smoky fruit flavour that’s hard to describe. But it is fantastic.
Before I delve into my take on grilling fruit, first things first. There is no substitute for using hardwood or natural charcoal. Grilling with gas might be more convenient, but you’ll never achieve the flavours that only charcoal or wood bring out. Another really cool thing about grilling fruits is the convenience. Notwithstanding, by all means feel free to use the grill in your electric oven, do not be put off by not having the artisan tools.
You have finished your main course of grilled meats and/or grilled vegetables and still have some nicely lingering hot coals sitting there in your grill, just going to waste and heating the environment. Mosey over to the kitchen, grab your fruit basket, a chopping board, and a knife and start chopping. A delicious, unexpected, and tasty dessert is just around the corner. You can even involve your friends and guests by asking for suggestions and exchanging ideas. Be mindful of one important caveat; the pieces must be big enough so they won’t fall through the grate. That’s it. Oh, and of course some long-handled tongs to flip the fruits, which you probably already have anyway. I haven’t found one yet that doesn't work.
The first time you start grilling fruits, I recommend to start with large, firm-flesh fruits. Tip: If you have some lemons and limes rolling around in the fridge, add them to the mix, they’ll give some really interesting added flavours when grilled and then sprinkled over the fruits. Especially on grilled watermelon! Choose fruits that are ripe but still firm. You know, the ones that smell delicious but you would normally wait another day or two before eating. This way, when the heat caramelizes the sugars it also has the effect of weakening and the fruit itself. Hence you won’t end up with a mushy mess that sticks to the cooking grate and will fall apart when you try to remove it.
Leave the skin on pineapple and watermelon. Cut into 1” slices. I like to cut watermelon into “pizza slices.” Cut pineapple slices in quarters and remove the inner core. Halve peaches and apricots and remove the stone. You can brush your fruit with a little bit of a neutral, heat-resistant oil like grapeseed. I normally just brush the whole grate before grilling my fruits while at the same time ensuring that your grill is still hot. If you’re cooking your fruits as a dessert, you may want to add some more wood or coal after you're done grilling the main course. Add your fruits and don’t move them for about three minutes. They won’t stick and you’ll get some nice grill marks. Flip and grill for another three minutes. Tip: Cooking over fire is not exactly a precise science; use your common sense and instincts. If your fruit is getting too much heat, move it to a cooler spot. If your fruit is not getting enough heat, move it to a hotter spot. Three minutes should be looked at as a guideline and not definitive nor a timer.
SERVES SIX TO EIGHT
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium size ripe pineapple
- 1 medium size mango, not the small bugoogwa; rather dodo would do nicely.
- 2- 4 sweet bananas depending on the size. If you only have Bogoya no sweat though my preference will always be Sukali ndizi.
- 3 – 4 tablespoons icing sugar
For the watermelon granita - 1 medium size ripe watermelon with the seeds removed
- 1 ¼ cup caster sugar
- 150g drinking water (we have on hand the 5 liter Aqua sip which I find handy to have around in the kitchen)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon orange flower water or orange blossom water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the spiced orange granita
- 900 ml drinking water
- 1 ¾ cups caster sugar
- 5 – 6 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ cups good quality orange juice
METHOD:
To make the watermelon granita, puree the watermelon flesh in a blender or a food processor and put the sugar and water in a pan and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes, allow to cool and set aside.
Stir in the lemon juice, orange flower water and the cinnamon and then beat in the watermelon puree. The mixture into a plastic bowl that can fit into your freezer. Stir every 15 minutes for two hours and at intervals for one hour, so that the mixture freezes but is mushy.
To make the spiced orange granita, heat the water and sugar together in a pan with the cloves, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil for about five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Stir in the ginger, cinnamon, orange juice and the orange flower water.
Remove and discard the cloves, then pour the mixture into a bowl, cover and place in the freezer and proceed as in the case of the watermelon granita.
When you are ready to serve, peel, core and slice the pineapple. Peel the mango and cut the flesh off the pit into thick slices. Peel and halve the bananas. Preheat the grill on the hottest setting. Arrange the fruit on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with incising sugar and grill for about three minutes, until slightly softened and lightly browned. Arrange the fruit on a serving platter and scoop the granitas into dishes. Serve at once.
