It’s fun to mix fruit and fire

  • By Jim Shahin Special to The Washington Post
  • Thursday, September 10, 2015 10:52am
  • Life

If anyone ran analytics on this sort of thing, my guess is they’d find that grilling and fruit are both at their peak about now. Unfortunately, they’d probably also find that the two rarely intersect.

That’s a shame, because grilled fruit is one of the absolute joys of summer. Grilling fruit is also one of the easiest ways to expand your grilling repertoire.

And it’s a nearly effortless crowd-pleaser at a dinner party.

My first encounter was years ago, when a friend threw thick slabs of watermelon quarters on a grate over the coals. I looked askance. He left them over a medium-hot fire for only a couple of minutes, then turned them, like steaks. When he pulled them to a platter, they even looked like steaks, their thick red “meat” lined with grill marks and oozing juice.

In their own way, they were as delicious as steaks. Still crisp. Still sweet. Actually, sweeter, because the fire caramelized them, intensifying their flavor. My skeptical palate was convinced.

Since then, I’ve grilled every manner of fruit, even some that I call fruits for all seasons. I mean strawberries, which are at their very best in springtime but are available year-round. Unlike tomatoes, they’re pretty good out of season; maybe that’s why strawberry shortcake is so popular even in the summer.

The trick to grilling them is to keep their firm texture from collapsing while singeing them with fire. This is where out-of-season berries, firmer and drier, might be even better for the grill than in-season ones. Halving them, as opposed to slicing them thin or leaving them whole, keeps the berries substantial enough to take the heat and makes them easier to turn. A vegetable basket keeps them from falling through the grates.

When removed from the fire, the berries are tattooed with char, transforming them from pretty to something almost roguish. And they look really cool spilling over a shortcake under a white dome of whipped cream.

About that whipped cream: I wood-smoke it. My first few attempts were abysmal failures. I tried putting charred wood into heavy cream and straining it out. It tasted like somebody put out a cigarette in my mouth. Then I smoked it indirectly for five minutes. All ashtray, no cream. Eventually, I found that using a small, indirect fire for a short time with just a few wood chips was the key. The smoke whispers to the cream, creating less a flavor than a sense of mystery, complementing the flame-torched strawberries.

If strawberries are evergreen, the berry most in its summer prime is the blueberry. The fantastic blue orbs can be grilled, but their diminutive size makes it easy to scorch them, resulting in something resembling deflated balloons. Instead, I apply a light wash of wood smoke, which plumps them up to nearly bursting and deepens their complexion to a magnificent indigo. The smoke adds an intriguing complexity to their flavor.

For dessert at a dinner party in June, I made a smoked blueberry pie. For a little zing, I added smoked serrano chilies. The combination of the berries and the hot peppers, mingling in smoke, might sound weird. But neither the smoke nor the chilis took over. It was all blueberry pie, kissed by smoke and electrified by chili, which amped up each bite. All the while, the essential blueberry flavor dominated, like the lead vocal in a trio. The next day, I received e-mails from guests imploring me to make it again.

Another jewel of the summer fruit season is stone fruit, especially the peach. Its pliable-yet-firm texture takes well to a little flame, and its size helps it rest easily on the grates without the risk of falling through. Best, though, is that its sugars concentrate when the peach’s exterior is caramelized by fire.

Because peaches have so much going for them to begin with, one of the best ways to treat them is to just stay out of their way. An easy crowd-pleaser is a grill master’s version of peaches and cream. Just halve and pit a few peaches, grill-roast them for a couple of minutes on each side, and top with a dollop of rich Italian mascarpone cheese mixed with a little honey.

From cutting the peach to plating the dish, the whole thing takes less than 15 minutes, and it is a spectacular summer dessert that shows off the fruit to amazing effect.

A bonus is that you can grill the peaches a day beforehand or do it at the end of your meal.

Experiment with whatever fruit you grill. Peaches, for example, can be combined with jalapeno, onion, cilantro and lime for a salsa to go with pork. Watermelon can be added to purple onion, feta, mint and chopped tomato, then tossed with a little red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil for a fantastic salad or side dish.

Once you do, I bet you’ll put fruit to the flame time and time again. I don’t need any analytics to tell me that.

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake With Smoked Whipped Cream

4 servings

The combination of grilled strawberries (done right) and smoke-infused whipped cream makes this a dessert your guests will long remember.

Grilling strawberries concentrates their flavor and provides a counterpoint to their sweetness. The trick is to soften and char them a little, without turning them to mush or into little strawberry briquettes.

You’ll need a vegetable grilling basket and 1/2 cup of mild hardwood chips, such as apple, peach, maple or cherry. Do not soak them.

Use your favorite shortcake recipe, a store-bought shortcake, or four 1/2-inch slices of a good pound cake, homemade or store-bought. You may grill the shortcake if you like, but the dish is delicious even if you don’t.

MAKE AHEAD: You should grill the strawberries early in the day and allow them to chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.

From Jim Shahin.

Ingredients

For the berries and shortcake

2 heaping cups strawberries, hulled and cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Four 1/2-inch-thick slices homemade or store-bought shortcake or pound cake (see headnote)

For the smoked whipped cream

1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps

For the berries and shortcake: Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for about 4 or 5 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. Lightly coat the grill rack with oil and place it on the grill.

Place the strawberries in a vegetable-grilling basket; cook on the grill, uncovered, for 2 minutes, then use a long-handled spatula to gently turn them over; cook for 2 minutes; try to get a little char on all the berries. Transfer to a platter; cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 24 hours).

While the fire’s still hot, arrange the slices of shortcake or pound cake directly over a medium-hot fire for about 3 minutes, or until you can use a spatula to lift and see browning or grill marks. Then turn over and grill for another 3 minutes. Remove from the grill to a platter.

Toss together the grilled, chilled strawberries and the sugar in a bowl, until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 15 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld; any longer and you run the risk of creating a sauce instead.

For the smoked whipped cream: Pour the cream into a small ovenproof saucepan. Prepare the grill for indirect heat. For a medium fire using charcoal, you should be able to hold your hand 6 inches above the coals for 6 or 7 seconds. Scatter the wood chips over the coals. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames.

If using a gas grill, turn the heat to high. Put the 1/2 cup of wood chips in a smoker box or foil packet poked with a few fork holes to release the smoke; set it between the grate and the briquettes, close to the flame. When you see smoke, reduce the heat to medium (375 to 400 degrees). Turn off the burners on one side.

Set the saucepan of cream on the indirect-heat side of the grill. Close the grill’s lid; let the smoke infuse the cream for 1 minute, then transfer the cream to an airtight container; refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.

When ready to assemble, combine the chilled, smoked whipping cream, the sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer; beat on medium-high speed for several minutes, until soft peaks form.

Add a few grinds of pepper and the mint to the sugared strawberries, tossing gently to incorporate.

If you’re using shortcake, cut each one in half. Arrange the bottom halves on each plate. Spoon plenty of the fruit on top, then complete with the top of the shortcakes. Top each portion with a dollop of smoked whipped cream.

If you’re using pound cake, place a slice on each plate. Spoon the fruit on top of each one (dividing it evenly). Top each portion with a dollop of smoked whipped cream. Serve right away.

Nutrition 5/8 Per serving (without the shortcake): 250 calories, 1 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 36 g sugar

Grilled Watermelon

4 servings

You can think of watermelon as the steak of the grilled-fruit world, because it takes well to fire, and a thick slice, with its red “meat” oozing juice, even looks the part. The great thing is, it’s sweeter.

Make ahead: The grilled fruit can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 hours in advance.

From Jim Shahin.

Ingredients

1 seedless watermelon (about 41/4 pounds total)

About 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, plus more for finishing

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Steps

Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for about 4 or 5 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels, then seat a wire rack on top of them.

Cut the watermelon into 11/4-inch-thick rounds, then cut the rounds into quarters. Use the 1 tablespoon of salt to season the wedges on both sides, then place them on a wire rack to drain for 20 minutes. Rinse the watermelon and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.

Brush the melon wedges lightly with oil on both sides. Arrange them on the grill grate; cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until light grill marks form. Use tongs to carefully turn them over, then cook, uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes so marks form on the second side.

To serve at room temperature, transfer the wedges to a platter; season lightly with more salt and sprinkle with the mint. To serve chilled, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours.

Nutrition 5/8 Per serving (without the shortcake): 250 calories, 1 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 36 g sugar

Smoky Spicy Blueberry Pie

8 servings (makes one 9-inch pie)

In this pie, an intriguing flavor results from sweetness of smoked, plumped fruit and a lash of smoked serrano-pepper heat. The charring done under the broiler is optional; this is an outlaw kind of pie and the extra step gives it the look.

You’ll need a vegetable grilling basket and 1/2 cup of mild hardwood chips, such as apple, peach, maple or cherry. Do not soak them. Use a favorite pie dough recipe or store-bought.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

MAKE AHEAD: The blueberries and serrano peppers can be smoked up to 2 days in advance; refrigerate separately in airtight containers.

From Jim Shahin.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh blueberries, stemmed as needed and rinsed

2 serrano peppers

11/4 cups sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Enough homemade or store-bought pie dough for a 2-crust pie (see recipe for Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust at washingtonpost.com/recipes.)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon regular or low-fat milk

Steps

Prepare the grill for indirect heat. If using a gas grill, turn the heat to high. Put the chips in a smoker box or foil packet poked with a few fork holes to release the smoke; set it between the grate and the briquettes, close to the flame. When you see smoke, reduce the heat to medium-high (450 degrees). Turn off the burners on one side.

If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them on one side of the grill. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand 6 inches above the coals for 4 or 5 seconds. Scatter the wood chips over the coals. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames.

Place the berries in a vegetable basket. Once the wood chips catch fire, place the lid on the grill and open the top vent just a bit. After the flames subside, open the lid, place the blueberries on the indirect-heat side of the grate; close the lid and smoke for 4 minutes, then transfer the basket to a heatproof surface to cool.

Meanwhile, place the serrano peppers on the cool side of the grill; close the lid and smoke them for 20 to 30 minutes, until the peppers soften and their color darkens. Remove them from the grill and slip off the skins, which should have loosened. Discard the stems and seeds, then mince the peppers.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Combine the smoked blueberries and minced serrano peppers in a mixing bowl, along with the 1 1/4 cups of sugar, the cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon and butter; toss to incorporate.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the dough rounds. Pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the edges of the dough at the pie plate rim, leaving 3/4 inch of overhang.

Spoon the blueberry-serrano mixture into the pie plate. Position the other round of dough atop the filling; crimp to seal.

Whisk together the egg and milk in a cup to form an egg wash; use it to brush the top crust, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Cut three slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Place the pie on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes (at 450 degrees), then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

If you dare, position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Broil for 2 minutes, or until charred in spots. The char, curiously, has little to no effect on the flavor of the crust, but it does make the texture crisp and less supple.

Nutrition 5/8 Per serving: 500 calories, 5 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 26 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 40 g sugar

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