While the COVID-19 pandemic prevails and residents adapt to the ‘new norm’, nothing should stop us from still believing in the magic of Christmas and the warmth that the festive season brings.
Many will be home for Christmas, and where better to ring in some special stone fruit season’s greetings and enjoy delectable new dishes with peaches, nectarines and plums.
Stone fruits are abundant at this time of the year and every peach, plum and nectarine is not only oozing with juicy deliciousness, but also packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
And they are versatile – both savoury and sweet dishes just jingle with their flavour and goodness.
Here are two recipe ideas by Jenny Morris for some inspired Christmas fare.
Cheesecake topped grilled honey buttered peaches
Serves 8 – 10
Ingredients
Cheesecake
200g ginger biscuits, crumbed
100g salted butter, melted
5 large eggs
275g caster sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbls lemon juice
750g cream cheese, softened
1 tsp cake flour
250ml double tick cream, lightly beaten
Grilled honey buttered peaches
6 large peaches, halved and pitted
100g softened butter
2 tbls runny honey
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1 tbls brown sugar
Method
Before you get started with the baking, line the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
Now place the biscuit crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter. Mix together well and then press onto the base of the prepared cake. Smooth down with the back of a spoon. Chill until you need it.
Put the eggs and caster sugar in the bowl of your food processor and whisk until light and fluffy.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the cream, and mix together well.
Fold in the cream and before pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Make a collar by cutting a strip of baking paper long enough to go all the way around the cake tin. Cut the strip of baking paper about 3cm higher than the top of the baking tin.
Roll it into a cigar and unravel and place around the inside of the baking tin. Secure the ends together with a paper clip. Then gently spoon the mixture into the baking tin.
Place the cheesecake into the oven and bake for 80-90 minutes.
The cheesecake should have a tiny wobbly spot in the centre and, as the cake cools, the centre will firm up.
Store the cheesecake covered in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
Place the peaches onto a baking tray. Cream together the butter, honey and vanilla seeds and spoon onto the peaches. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and grill in a hot oven until the peaches start to bubble and turn golden brown.
To serve: arrange peaches over the top and dust lightly with icing sugar before bringing it to the table.
Roasted fillet with chunky plums
Ingredients
1 x 1kg whole trimmed fillet of beef
Salt and ground white pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
300g firm, ripe red plums
1 tbls olive oil
2 tbls finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 red chilli, sliced
3 tbls white sugar
2 whole star anise
200ml port (fortified wine)
½ cup lemon juice
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tbls balsamic vinegar
1 tbls soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbls chopped fresh coriander
Method
First, get the sauce started. Stone and halve the plums. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli.
Cook, stirring for two minutes and then add the sugar and star anise.
Cook, stirring until sugar melts and add a little port to prevent it from burning.
Once the sugar has melted, add the remaining port and lemon juice, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.
Place the plums into the mixture and simmer gently until plums are tender but not overcooked – about eight minutes.
Remove pan from heat and also remove the plums with a slotted spoon.
Stir in the sesame oil, orange zest and coriander. Return the plums to the sauce and prepare the meat.
Rub the fillet with olive oil and then season with salt pepper and ground cumin. Heat a frying pan until it’s hot and then seal the meat on all sides until it’s nice and brown.
Roast in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Rest the fillet for 10 minutes and then slice the meat. Spoon over the plum sauce and serve.
- For more inspiration, visit www.juicydelicious.co.za.
