5 Summer Stone Fruit & Seafood Recipes to Beat the Heat
Step aside, lemon and garlic, there’s a lot more on offer when it comes to South African seafood dishes. Summer is stone fruit season, and if you haven’t considered it before, you will be surprised at how perfectly our homegrown plums, peaches and nectarines pair with our favourite fish and shellfish.
Of course, the pairing of seafood and stone fruit is rooted in South African culinary traditions — think peach chutney infused marinade for Cape Malay pickled fish. From the orchards to the sea, these perennial favourites work so well because they meet in the same place on the palate: bright, clean and lightly sweet. It’s a stunning pairing for the warm weather of late summer. Stone fruit and seafood come together in dishes that feel fresh, not heavy, and with flavours that are lightly layered rather than dense.
The natural acidity of peaches, nectarines and plums cuts through the richness of oily fish such as sardines, salmon and mackerel, serving as an inspired alternative to traditional citrus. Their gentle sweetness, and sometimes, tartness, complements the delicate yet distinctive flavours of prawns, mussels and line fish. When grilled or charred, stone fruit develops delectable caramel notes that echo the smokiness of braaied seafood, adding depth while brightening the plate.
Texture is another strength of the stone fruit and seafood pairing. Juicy slices of luscious fruit contrast beautifully with firm fish like baked yellowtail or the crispiness of battered calamari. In salsas and salads, stone fruit brings colour, fragrance and lustre to your seafood table.
Juicy Delicious celebrates this balance of stone fruit with the salty, rich, and clean profiles of fish and shellfish in their Late-summer Stone Fruit and Seafood recipe collection:
Deep-fried calamari tentacles with plum, chilli, coriander and mint tartar-style mayo – Celebrity chef and culinary maestro, Jenny Morris highlights all the glories of in-season plums as the hero ingredient of this inspired tartar-style mayo layered with chilli, coriander, mint and spring onions. It’s a wow-factor, fresh and feisty accompaniment to crisp, golden calamari tentacles – but you can also use it to elevate prawns, fish fingers and chicken schnitzel.
Sardine and stone fruit panzanella – Cookbook author and food stylist, Georgia East tosses hearty cubes of sourdough bread in pesto, parmesan and garlic and bakes them until crisp but springy on the inside. White flesh nectarines and heirloom tomatoes are lightly dressed and mixed with capers, wild rocket, and fresh basil. The dish is crowned with sardines for a summery salad that will surprise and delight.
Whole baked snoek with peach and rosemary butter – With this recipe, Jenny Morris gives you a fresh take on a classic South African stone fruit and seafood pairing. Peaches are sautéed with onion, garlic, rosemary and a dash of lemon juice to create a sensational butter topping for the snoek that you will want to make part of your repertoire for life.
Summer plum and prawn salad – A showstopper salad platter by Jenny Morris pairs juicy plums with succulent prawn meat, layered with crisp butter lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, red pepper, spring onions, and fresh coriander. The secret to success is the spicy plum-and-chilli dressing with lime, mint, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey, and Japanese mayonnaise bringing the salad together beautifully for a celebration of sweet yet tart fruit with sweet and briny seafood.
Crayfish tails with grilled plums & chilli butter – Perfect for a candlelight and champagne dinner, Jenny Morris describes this dish as “decadent, spicy, and ready to impress”. It’s a romantic spoil with “sweet-fleshed crayfish meeting the sultry acidity of grilled plums, smoky, sticky, and just tart enough to make the butter blush”.
Find more delicious recipes online with Juicy Delicious.
