At this time of year, one of the joys of living here in the Algarve is the vast array of fruit that is available to eat or cook with.
With each passing month, there appears a new seasonable fruit.
June seems to be the month of cherries and July brings nectarines and peaches to the fore. So this recipe is a celebration of all things fruity!
Preparing the fruit with this easy marinade creates a whole starburst of flavour with every mouthful.
Ingredients
2 firm bananas, peeled
1 small pineapple, peeled and cored
2 pears, peeled and cored
2 firm nectarines, stoned
2 oranges, peeled
12 strawberries, hulled
The juice of 2 lemons
100g/4oz caster sugar
4 tbsp Cointreau or other spirit
4 tbsp white wine
1 small uncut white loaf of bread
150g/5oz melted butter
Ground nutmeg
Extra sugar for dusting
Instructions
1. Cut all the fruit into 2.5cm/1 inch square cubes. Unless the strawberries are very large, leave them whole. Each banana can just be cut into 4 pieces.
2. Place the prepared fruit in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, Cointreau, wine, cinnamon and half the sugar. Toss gently but thoroughly, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 2.5cm/1 inch square cubes and brush liberally with the melted butter. Toss in the remaining sugar to coat on all sides.
4. Remove the fruit from the bowl, reserving the marinade. Thread the bread and fruit onto 4 skewers, ensuring each skewer has a selection of the different fruit.
5. Cook over medium heat on your gas BBQ or coals for 5-8 minutes, turning from time to time and sprinkling with extra caster sugar, until browned and caramelised.
6. To serve – sprinkle each kebab with the remaining marinade and serve immediately. A good dollop of Crème Fraîche makes a good partner too.
By CHRIS WINSTANLEY
