Long days and balmy evenings call for light meals and summery flavours

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE GRILLED FRUIT

  • 80ml honey
  • 1 small orange, zest and juice
  • 40g butter
  • 3ml vanilla extract
  • 5 ripe nectarines or peaches, stoned and thickly sliced

FOR THE FILLING

  • 250ml mascarpone, softened
  • to room temperature
  • 45ml icing sugar
  • 2ml almond essence
  • 30g pistachio nuts, very finely chopped
  • 250ml fresh cream, whipped

TO SERVE

  • 1 large meringue shell
  • 15ml mint, chopped (optional)
  • 30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

METHOD

  1. To make the grilled fruit, melt the honey, orange zest and juice, butter and vanilla extract in a small pan over medium heat. Reserve a little zest for serving.
  2. Remove from the heat and brush the nectarine slices with half the mixture.
  3. Grill the fruit slices on a hot braai, ina griddle pan or roast them in the oven at 180°C for 15–20 minutes until tender but still firm.
  4. Allow to cool and reserve the remaining sauce until ready to serve.
  5. To make the filling, place the mascarpone, icing sugar, almond essence and finely chopped pistachio nuts in a mixing bowl and mix well.
  6. Fold in the whipped cream. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
  7. To serve, place the meringue shell on a serving platter. Spoon the cream filling into the base of the pavlova shell.
  8. Top the meringue with the grilled fruit and drizzle the remaining sauce over the top. Scatter over the mint, reserved zest and the pistachios nuts, and serve at once.

(Serves 6–8)

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