While the forecast for summer mangoes is not looking good, nectarines are stepping up to the plate instead, with some major supermarkets selling the yellow variety for just under $5 for a kilo. Whether in sweet or savoury recipes, here’s how to make the most of the summer stone fruit.
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There are burrata hot-takes, and there are burrata grilled-makes. While you might be more familiar with the cheesy sphere paired with peaches, it is nectarines – yellow, grilled – that share the stage here. Use firm, under-ripe nectarines for this recipe – too ripe, and they will fall apart on the grill. Tomatoes, cucumber and an onion quick-pickle complete the picture, but for a “simple flex” writes Miers, drape the plate with slices of jamón. Also in the hot-nectarine-cold-burrata canon: Nik Sharma’s grilled stone fruit with burrata and balsamic vinegar.
Conventional this is not. Nigel Slater’s tabbouleh-like salad features the usual suspects of parsley, lemon and bulgur but substitutes tomato and cucumber with radishes, cress and finely cubed nectarines. Unlike Miers’ preference for under-ripe fruit in the above recipe, here you want soft, juicy, ready-to-eat specimens. You only need two, so to ensure their safe and unbruised passage from grocer to home, cradle them in your cupped hands.
In my mind, this is not so much a salad but a party on a plate. There’s nutty freekeh tossed through with olive oil and cumin; sprightly green herbs and lettuce; finely diced cucumber and crunchy walnuts (it’s best to buy them in small quantities as they tend to go rancid quickly); plus nectarine wedges and velvety fried halloumi. Choose yellow rather than white nectarines – they have a sherbet-y tartness that works with the sweet-and-sour flavours. What’s more, this is the type of salad that would happily go with barbecued lamb or fish – use the hot grill to cook your halloumi.
It might sound counterintuitive but Slater says this salad works best when the roasted chicken thighs are still warm, and the leaves freshly tossed with the hot dressing of lemon juice, vinegar and pan juices. This recipe has big Virgo energy – there are precise details like picked parsley leaves (you will need 30) and basil leaves (20), and Slater suggests – with his “perfectionist hat on” – to pour the still-warm dressing over the salad just before serving.
Nectarine? In a strudel? It can be done, and with minimal effort too – Dan Lepard’s recipe calls for store-bought filo to achieve that gossamer-thin strudel pastry in no time at all. The fiddliest part is butter-frying your own-made breadcrumbs; after that, it’s a matter of layering the pastry, filling it with diced nectarines, and rolling and baking your fruity tube. A side of cream is non-negotiable.
Some may be distrustful of desserts that move but I cannot resist the jiggle of a good panna cotta. It makes me feel alive. Panna cotta, however, should not be rushed. You need to carefully watch the simmering cream so it doesn’t boil, then sieve, cool, and refrigerate it for at least five hours. While you wait, there is plenty of time to roast the nectarines until they’re soft, jammy and slightly syrupy. In my mind, any leftover fruit will make an elegant yoghurt topping for the next day’s breakfast.
If, however, you lack the patience to simmer, sieve and cool panna cotta, try this. These white chocolate pots are more forgiving, and don’t require any fussing with gelatine leaves – simply throw some warmed milk and honey into a bowl of white chocolate, whisk, and refrigerate. Gill suggests removing the skins from the roasted nectarines but in the spirit of lazy summer cooking, you could leave the skins on and call it “rustic”.
Iced tea – TikTok’s beverage of the choice – is low-effort and high-yield. Just 20 minutes of prep (and an hour of chilling) results in 1200ml of nectarine-and-bergamot refreshment. You could drink it as is, with plenty of ice, or extend the mileage further by topping up with sparkling water. If you’re susceptible to sugar crashes, this might be a good idea, considering the recipe calls for more than a cup of the sweet stuff.
As you make your way through this dead-easy recipe, it’s important to taste the nectarines as you go – you want the fruit flavour to shine through without overloading on the added sugar. Allow the fruit to macerate, then simply drown them in Beaujolais. It’s sangria but dessert.
