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Fresh fruit salad with a twist
Answer
Dear Jenny
Before writing off fruit salad let me make a few suggestions. In Britain we have a tradition using the same fruit each time we make it. I think that this is a mistake and is a culinary rut inherited through family traditions.
Sometimes it is delicious as well as being visually effective to take, say, two fruits that contrast and complement. Choose carefully bearing in mind freshness, locality and seasonality, so you are using fruit in perfect condition.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started: fresh sliced oranges with not a trace of pith, with sliced strawberries. Garden-fresh raspberries with balls of perfectly ripe melon.
For the liquid to complete your salad, move on from just using basic stock syrup, and experiment with the following: poach pared lemon rind in the syrup and add some of the lemon juice to give a citrus backnote, or poach a little lemon grass for a subtler effect.
A good cheap Sauternes makes a brilliant starting point, as of course does Cava, just tell them it`s Champagne! Angostura bitters impart an attractive rose hue, just don`t try all these tricks at the same time or your will end up with competing flavours. For simpler tastes just use a plain good quality fruit juice such as apple or orange for a refreshing effect.
Other favourites of mine include sliced oranges marinated with Grenadine, and cherries with Kirsch. How about poached pears? If you have a sorbetiere then try out granitas, sorbets and the like. There is so much delicious fruit around at this time of year I think it has to be my first choice and it is so simple to prepare: I now routinely offer a platter of contrasting fruits as part of the desserts I offer when entertaining and it always goes down well with my guests.
I hope that helps!
Best wishes
Richard Maggs
THE AGA COOKERY DOCTOR
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Dear Richard We have friends coming for sunday lunch this weekend,and one of them eats no dairy products because she has an allergy to them. Can you suggest a dessert as I have done fruit salad before and it gets boring. Many thanks Jenny