Angela Hartnett’s savoury summer fruit dishes
RIPE IDEAS With an abundance of seasonal produce on offer, Angela Hartnett whips up some dishes that perfectly combine sweet and savoury
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that fruit works well in savoury dishes – it features in so many cuisines, from duck à l’orange to Moroccan tagines or roast pork with apple sauce. Strong meats such as venison and pigeon make for a natural marriage with fruit: the sharpness and sweetness cuts through the gaminess perfectly. That said, sometimes fruit can surprise you: I once had roast pork with a bean and apricot ragù, which was unexpectedly good – I thought the apricots would prove too mushy.
Ripeness is the most important element to get right for these dishes. The riper and more flavoursome the fruit, the better they’ll taste. I’m not a fan of “ripen at home” fruit from supermarkets;
I prefer to buy from a grocer’s, a market or from producers. Jane Scotter at Fern Verrow in Herefordshire produces fantastic fruit, and in London I shop at Spa Terminus in Bermondsey.
The scent is as important as the texture; I remember buying peaches and strawberries at the Halles d’Avignon market in Provence, and the smell was intoxicating. Peaches should be firm on the outside, with a slight springy softness. I’ve paired the peaches with feta and olives to provide a saltiness that balances brilliantly with their sweetness, while charring them adds smokiness and an extra touch of flavour.
It’s traditional for blackcurrants and blackberries to be paired with duck; elderberry is another classic option. You might also often find tart, sharp or sweet fruits and berries in a sauce or a jelly. The chicory adds a fresh, green crunch alongside the soft fruit and confit duck in my take featured here, as well as a hint of bitterness.
I was inspired by Lee Tiernan at Black Axe Mangal to put roasted pork with watermelon. The freshness of the watermelon and the chilli and spice cuts through the fattiness of the pork.
The amounts used in these recipes are guidelines, you may want to add or take away a little of each component to suit your palate.
The riper and more flavoursome the fruit, the better these dishes will taste