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Chef Allen Susser (owner of Chef Allen’s in Aventura and author of The Great Mango Book) masters the art of pairing fruit with savory dishes across the board on his own menus. He recently gave Boca Raton magazine readers advice for pairing fruit with savory dishes—and even threw in a recipe that he prepared on the spot!
1) Fruit works in savory dishes because it adds color, texture (especially raw fruits) and flavor to the dish.
2) It’s simple to work seasonal fruits into dishes: apples and pears for fall dishes, stone fruits (such as peaches and plums) for summertime dishes and, of course, in Florida, tropical fruit year-round.
3) The sweetness of the fruit adds to the richness of a dish, letting you cut down on rich fats (mayonnaise, oil, butter), which means you can create lighter, healthier fare.
4) Fruit salsas (mango, peach, tomato/orange) can be cooked down and used as great-tasting garnishes for simple grilled fish or chicken dishes.
5) Think of using fruit the way we use wine in dishes—the sweetness of the fruit should be balanced with some acidity.
Sautéed Fish with Grapes and Almonds
Susser quickly created this dish to describe his thought process when using fruit in his dishes.
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
4 fillets of fish, such as mahi-mahi or red snapper
1 tablespoon shallot, finely chopped
1 cup seedless white and red grapes, washed and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch crushed red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds
1. Heat oil with butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Mix salt and pepper into flour on plate. Dip fish into flour, shaking off excess, and sauté about 4 minutes on first side, 3 minutes on second. Remove to plate and keep warm.
2. Pour out any excess fat. Add shallot, grapes, cumin and red pepper to skillet and cook briefly, stirring until grapes soften slightly. Add wine to deglaze pan. Reduce slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. To serve, pour grapes and sauce over fish. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve immediately.
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