A lady acquaintance of mine has a garden with peach, lemon and yellow plum trees. This year for I am not sure what reason, the peaches, especially, are very cheap, about half price as that of last year. The ones I bought today were 0.89 cents per kilo. My lady friend was moaning that now, with prices so cheap and her garden was full of peaches, when last year she had hardly any fruit harvest and prices in the shops are expensive. While life is not always fair. But, I said to her she can take advantage of the abundance of her own produce, and make meals using fruit in stead of buying other more expensive ingredients.
Personally I love using fruit in savoury dishes. Apart from the popular duck with orange, roast pork with apple sauce, I grill chicken with peaches or grapes, curried lamb with banana, or grilled sole with lemon cream, etc. My lady friend said she has never used fruit in a meat dish before, so I gave her a couple of my own recipes. I said my own because I never ever use recipe books, always cook according to what and how I fancy doing with what I got at the moment of cooking, and I have no particular measures for quantities. But my friend said she 'must' have some guide or she won't know how much of anything should be used. So, I thought I would post a couple of ways I recently used here, with 'more or less' quantity I remember I was using; I simply can't specify the exact amount, just to your own taste I suppose.
Chicken with Peaches (equally good with apple) ~
1) Lightly flour the cut chicken joints, or smaller pieces if you prefer. (the easiest, quickest and more even way is put flour in a clean plastic bag, add salt and pepper, then put in the chicken pieces already cleaned and dry. Close the top of the plastic bag tightly, hold it and shake it a few times. All meat pieces would be very evenly coated, and excess flour discarded). Lightly brown in a pan or casserole on all sides in olive oil. Lift the meat out and keep aside.
2) In the same pan, poach rather than fry (to keep the colour) some onions cut into Julian, on low heat about 5 minutes. Put the chicken back, add some fresh or dried rosemary, salt and pepper, sweet sherry (for me is dry sherry), reduce the liquid on low fire for 5 minutes, then pour on some warm chicken stock (bought packet is fine unless you want to make your own which is of course better).
3) Cook with gentle heat about 15 to 20 minutes depending or the size of the chicken pieces. Add peach cut into segments and cook 7 to 10 minutes. Serve with lightly fried or toasted split almonds and chopped parsley or spring onion.
Cheesy Peach Cups ~
(for 4 portions, I have measures this time because I just did it to serve some friends)
(for 4 portions, I have measures this time because I just did it to serve some friends)
300g cream cheese
200g Greek yoghurt (extra creamy, strained yoghurt)
4 good sized, firm but ripe peaches
100g brown sugar
1) Put the sugar and 1 spoon of water to cook gently, stirring all the while, until caramelised (making sure it doesn't get dark in colour or it will be bitter). Add 4 spoonful of hot water (do it carefully, as caramel is extremely hot, it might splatter), stirring well. Leave to get cold.
2) Wash, dry and cut each peach in half (twist the 2 halves to easily get rid of the stone). Beat fresh cream cheese with the yoghurt till well mixed and creamy. (Add just a drop or 2 of Brandy if wished in the hollow first then smear it all over the surface ).
3) Fill the hollow of each peach half with the creamy mixture, drip caramel over the top and 'draw' artistic lines or circles on one side of the plate, serve with a small sprig of fresh mint on top or on the other side of the plate.
Bon Appetit!
Bon Appetit!
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