I have started getting obsessed with spicy syrups on fruit; see this fantastic recipe for Roasted pineapple carpaccio in a light syrup of lime, fragrant lemongrass, chilli and mint.
Many cultures use some combination of the dry rub of chilli powder, salt and lime on fruit, including India, Vietnam, Mexico and other Central American countries; see the recipe for Persimmons with lime and chilli. The dry rub adds that immediate pop of spice and flavour but can tend to overpower the flavours of the fruit in excess.
Syrups, on the other hand, are delicate and balanced. It infuses the fruits and does not detract from the core flavours of the fruit but rather enhances the flavours of the fruit. This fruit salad is no exception.
This is a beautiful and complex salad. You can essentially use any fruit of your choice, especially those that are currently in season. However, you want to combine berries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or other citrus, like pineapple, oranges or grapes, a melon of choice and some core fruits like pears and apples. Do not be limited to the fruit in this recipe, use lychees, kiwi, grapefruit, bananas, watermelon, or anything else in the market that is looking delicious or that you crave.
This salad has a variety of textures from the different fruits but shines from the aromatic and spicy syrup. Macerating the fruit in syrup allows the spices to infuse the fruit. This salad is simply spectacular. You can serve it as a dessert, but I have started serving it as an appetizer or palate cleanser in tiny servings. The guests love the splash of sweet that breaks up the otherwise savory courses.
This is an excellent cookbook on Bangladeshi cuisine, filled with authentic recipes. The cuisine is very similar to Indian cuisine, but the dishes have specific nuances and flavours. I have just begun to cook from this book and learn about the flavours, and you will see me cook from it again soon. I recommend this cookbook for those who want to experiment with and learn from this cuisine.
For more recipes from this beautiful cookbook, click here.
Ingredients:
For the chilli-lime syrup:
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lime
1 fresh red chilli, sliced thickly
For the salad:
1 cup mango or papaya, peeled and cubed
1 cup melon of any kind, cubed, peeled and cubed
1 cup pineapple, cut into 1/2 circles
2 apples, cubed
2 pears, cubed
1 pack strawberries, hulled and cut into 4 vertically
1 cup grapes, halved if desired
Juice of 1-2 limes
Mint, to garnish
Peel the rind of the lime with a potato peeler into large strips. Heat the water with the sugar, lime peel and chillies and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sugars will melt, and you should get a syrup beautifully flavoured with lime zest and spicy from the chillies. You can choose to strain the syrup, but I prefer to keep the peel and chillies in for a visual effect.
Arrange the fruit in a large, wide bowl, so they look gorgeous. Garnish with mint. Thirty minutes before serving, add the chilli-lime syrup and allow it to soak into the fruit. Toss the bowl at the table nicely, then serve.