Not just for dessert: 4 summer fruits that work wonders in savory dishes
When the heat reaches an unbearable level, even cooling solutions need to be creative. With figs, mango, watermelon, and prickly pear: four recipes that use fruits in surprising ways in savory cuisine.
August is a month that cannot be ignored. The incredible heat forces us to look for cooling and refreshing solutions in creative ways, especially in the kitchen. The body craves fresh, colorful, and light food. The solution is found in the markets, which are full of summer fruits at their peak.
For this column, I chose four fruits that tell the story of August: figs (in the heart of their season), Israeli mango (sweet and juicy), watermelon (the final month of its main season), and prickly pear (sabra), for which August is the absolute peak.
I didn't take this to an expected place. No fruit plates or simple desserts. I prepared these dishes to show how well they work in savory cuisine and how they can transform an entire meal.
Duck Breast with Seared Prickly Pear
Ingredients: 1 duck breast, salt, black pepper. For the prickly pear: 3-4 peeled fruits, olive oil, salt. For the salad: 1 fennel, 1 kohlrabi, 1 large cucumber, ½ red onion, 30g cilantro, handful of arugula. Dressing: lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper.
Preparation: Preheat oven to 180°C. Score the duck fat, season, and sear skin-side down for 4 minutes, then 2 minutes on the other side. Roast for 2.5–3.5 minutes. Sear the prickly pear on a grill pan until marked. Slice fennel, kohlrabi, and cucumber, toss with dressing and herbs. Serve the duck over the salad with the seared fruit.
Watermelon Salad with Feta
Ingredients: ¼ watermelon, 1 large cucumber, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 100g goat feta, handful of arugula, handful of mint, ¼ hot pepper. Dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of ¼ lime, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper.
Preparation: Hollow out the watermelon, keeping the rind as a bowl. Cube the flesh. Peel the cucumber into strips. Toast pine nuts until golden. Toss all ingredients with the dressing and serve inside the watermelon rind.
Chicken with Mango
Ingredients: 7-8 chicken legs, 2 onions, 2 mangoes, 1 orange, 1-2 chili peppers. Marinade: 1 cup orange juice, 1 pureed mango, lime juice, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp grain mustard, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp silan, spices.
Preparation: Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours. Place onions in a baking dish, top with chicken and marinade. Add mango chunks, orange slices, and chili. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for an hour, then uncover and roast for 20 minutes until golden.
Pizzettes with Figs and Labneh
Ingredients: Dough: 650ml water, 3g yeast, 1kg flour, oil, salt, sugar. Toppings: spinach, labneh, fresh figs, parmesan.
Preparation: Knead dough, let rise, shape into balls, and refrigerate for 6-24 hours. Shape the pizzettes, top with spinach, labneh, and fig quarters. Bake in a very hot oven on a stone or inverted tray for about 8 minutes. Finish with grated parmesan and a brush of olive oil.
