Grilled Fruit

People normally don't associate fruits and desserts with the barbecue grill. I think they're depriving themselves of the complete barbecue experience. We all agree that a steak, burger and just about anything tastes better when prepared on a barbecue grill. Many avid grill buffs have learned the value and great taste of vegetables on the grill, yet fail to even attempt grilled fruit and desserts. Reconsider an entire meal on the grill. After all, why spread yourself thin running from kitchen to grill? Set up in one place, grab a lawn chair and relax while you watch your grill do its magic.

Grilled fruit, when added to some imagination, not only creates tempting desserts, but grilled fruit also makes great appetizers and salads. The beauty of grilled fruit is when the sugary juices begin to seep out and the fire carmelizes it, giving the fruit a slight crust. Choose fresh fruit that is in season. Peaches, pears, plums and other seasonal fruit will grill much better when fresh and packed with seasonal flavor. This flavor is just not present in off season fruit. That's not to say you can't grill fruit during the winter months. Apples and bananas grill up very well and are readily available in the off season with none of the flavor sacrifice.

Not every fruit works on the grill, but this is not precise science. Every grill addict has at one time or another, tried every grilled fruit known to man with some degree of success, yours truly included. Melons, and berries are not a good choice when grilling fruit. The only exception to this rule might be strawberries. Again, only in season. Plump and juicy strawberries work very well as a grilled fruit. Citrus fruit is another poor choice for the grill. Don't completely discount these fruits just yet. Although not the best for the grill, they can compliment your grilled fruit dish, such as dicing it up and adding it as an ingredient. Fresh blueberries or diced citrus added on top can completely change the character of your grilled fruit recipe. Grilled lemon slices top grilled fish with a great presentation.

Grilled fruit is more easy than people might think. Hard fruit, such as apples or pears will grill up differently than that of soft fruit like bananas or plums. Careful attention to the cooking process is important when first attempting to grill a fruit that is unfamiliar to you. Eventually, you'll build up some experience in judging the cooking times of the various fruits.

Hard fruits are the easiest to prepare. Grilled fruit using apples, pears or firm peaches can simply be cut down the center, making two halves. Remove any seeds or the core. Cut pineapple into manageable wedges. An advantage to grilled fruit is there is no need to peel. The skin helps hold the grilled fruit together. Once cut, soak the fruit in cold water for about a half an hour. This ensures maximum water absorption so moisture is maintained while grilling. Add a shot of lemon juice to fruits that tend to "brown" with age, such as apples or bananas. This is an area where you can begin to get creative with your grilled fruit. For a dessert, I might add rum, vanilla, red wine or sometimes spices like cinnamon, or nutmeg to the water. For a grilled fruit appetizer or grilled fruit salad, a vinegar or white wine may be added along with oregano, basil or maybe some fennel. This is the marinade of the barbecue, and yours to develop.

Grilled fruit does best when cooked over a medium fire. Clean your grate before grilling fruit! Yesterday's grilled fish flavor will spoil most fruit. Drain the fruit and melt about a cup of butter in a sauce pan. Brush the fruit with the butter. This helps keep them moist and reduces sticking to the grill grate. This is another area of creativity. Spices, herbs or honey and molasses are great additions at this point. Whatever your grilled fruit desirers. This is the meat rub of the barbecue and again, yours to develop.

Most grilled fruit does well when placed skin side down. Close the grill cover and grill for about 6 to 8 minutes. Prior to turning them, again brush the top side with your butter mix. Flip and Gill for another 3 to 4 minutes with the cover off. Slightly rotate if you want the criss-cross grilling marks. Grilling times will vary greatly depending upon the fruit and its degree of ripeness. Your desired tenderness also alters this time. A foil packet of smoking chips are another way of toying with your grilled fruit creations. A small amount is all that is needed. Do not overpower the fruit flavor.

Serving up your grilled fruit gives you one more opportunity to create. It's time to add the barbecue sauce. For a dessert of grilled fruit, this can be as simple as a light dusting of powdered sugar or a more elaborate chocolate or liqueur sauce. Of course, ice cream is always a favorite. Grilled fruit appetizers are guaranteed to match up well with most fresh cheese and fresh vegetables.

Grilled fruit offers an infinite number of possibilities for your next barbecue. I use them as appetizers, salad ingredients, condiments and of course desserts. A side dish of grilled apple wedges goes well with all pork, while grilled pineapple accompanies any oriental/teriyaki style grill. I grill figs with medium mesquite smoke that I serve as a side dish with my Tex-Mex beef ribs. A same batch of those figs are the key ingredient in my "secret" Tex-Mex barbecue sauce. Try a grilled fruit salsa!

My Daddy always said, "A great barbecue is not what comes off the grill, but how you piece everything together." Experiment and incorporate grilled fruit into your next barbecue and it will come together nicely.