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Grilled fruit a delectable treat
Most grillers tend to put out their fires after their main course.
Better idea: Leave those coals alone and throw on dessert to cap off your meal. A number of fruits and other foods can be grilled - anything, really, as long as it stays between the grates.
Glazed banana and bacon bites
Makes 3 servings
2 or 3 large, firm bananas
4 slices of bacon
Honey and chile marinade (recipe follows)
Peel the bananas and cut into 1 inch-thick slices at an angle. Cut bacon into 4 inch-long strips and wrap around each piece of banana. Secure with a toothpick and brush with honey marinade.
Place a wire cake rack (or other grill basket) over the grill. Arrange the banana and bacon bites on the rack. Cook for 10 minutes, brushing with marinade and turning frequently.
Honey and chile marinade:
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground chile
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Mix together well. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Makes about 3/4 cup.
- Adapted from Fire and Smoke, Whitecap Publishing, 2002.
Grilled pears with raspberry-grand marnier sauce
Makes 4 servings
4 Bosc, Anjou or other firm pears
1 lemon, halved crosswise
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
For the sauce: 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
Vegetable oil for coating
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack.
To make the sauce: Combine the raspberries and honey in a bowl. Mash the raspberries lightly with a fork and stir in the liqueur. Set aside.
Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Squeeze the lemon over the cut sides of the pears to prevent browning. In a shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the cut sides of the pears in the cinnamon sugar.
Grill the pears, cut side down, directly over medium-high heat until the fruit is grill-marked and the sugar is caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes. Do not allow to char. Using a spatula, turn the pears and grill until tender and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. If the pears start to char, move them to a cooler part of the grill to cook.
Serve the pears topped with the raspberry sauce and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside, if desired.
Serve the grilled pears with a small glass of pear eau de vie, a clear fruit brandy. You could also use the ea de vie in the sauce in place of the orange liqueur, if you wish and increase the honey to taste.
- From Grilling, by Williams-Sonoma, Simon & Schuster, 2002
