Grilled Fruit

Inspired by Blue Hill - Tarrytown, NY

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Living in Brooklyn without a backyard means I don’t see a grill as often as I’d like. When I get the chance I like to plan ahead and take full advantage of this urban luxury. Burgers, steaks, and other meats are fun - but also very typical - and for this post I really wanted to try something a bit less common. Who better to turn to than Dan Barber, Executive Chef at the world renown Blue Hill? His creativity and innovation have landed him multiple awards and helped his restaurants earn two coveted Michelin stars. Grilled fruit may seem a bit boring at first but drizzle it with Dan’s Honeyed Lemon Thyme Vinegar and you’ll elevate the caramelized sugars created by the heat and land on a crowd pleasing dessert unlike anything else you’ve tried before.

This recipe is inspired by Dan Barber’s recipe for “Grilled Fruit with Honeyed Lemon Thyme Vinegar” which was created for Food and Wine Magazine’s feature on Summer Desserts back in 2013. Dan Barber is Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Blue Hill in New York City and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, NY. Blue Hill has two Michelin stars and was on the list for World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018. Dan Barber himself has won multiple James Beard awards including Best Chef. Friends who have been tell me it’s a once in a lifetime experience. After trying this simple yet divine dessert, I believe them.

INGREDIENTS

LEMON THYME VINEGAR (makes 1 cup):

  • 1 cup white vinegar

  • Peel from ½ lemon

  • 5 fresh thyme springs

HONEYED LEMON THYME VINEGAR (makes about ½ cup):

  • ½ cup honey

  • ¼ cup lemon thyme vinegar

FRUIT (Serves 6-8):

  • 3 peaches, cut into thick wedges

  • 3 nectarines, cut into thick wedges

  • 5 apricots, halved

ADDITIONAL NEEDS:

  • Olive oil

  • Fresh thyme (for garnish)

  • Vanilla Ice Cream (for serving)

GO FOR IT

LEMON THYME VINEGAR:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a squeeze bottle or mason jar

  2. Let sit for at least 1 week before using

HONEYED LEMON THYME VINEGAR:

  1. In a small sauce pan, combine honey and lemon thyme vinegar and bring to a low simmer and cook on low heat for 5 minutes

  2. Allow liquid to cool before pouring into squeeze bottle or mason jar for use

GRILLED FRUIT:

  1. Heat a grill and brush grates with olive oil

  2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss fruit with 2 TBS olive oil

  3. When grill is hot, grill fruit over high heat, turning fruit until light charred (about 3 to 4 minutes total), then remove from heat

FINISHING STEPS:

  1. Plate fruit, add a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with honey lemon thyme vinegar, garnish with fresh thyme, then serve fresh

NOTES:

In addition to peaches, nectarines, and apricots, Dan Barber also calls for plums. I used a typical black plum found in most grocery stores for my recipe but those plums are very juicy and I found they turned a bit mushy on the grill so I am recommending you drop them (this is reflected by my listing of a larger amount of peaches, nectarines, and apricots than was found in the original recipe). However, I do believe Dan was using greengage plums as they are far more firm. I did not have these available to me but if you can find them, then feel free to go for it but what you see here works out great as is.

I also believe that the lemon thyme vinegar was meant to be created with a specific type of thyme called lemon thyme. Lemon thyme smells and tastes like lemon and since I was unable to get my hands on any, I used regular thyme with some lemon peel and it turned out quite fantastic.

You’re also going to have leftover lemon thyme vinegar and honeyed lemon thyme vinegar. This will store and keep well (because it’s vinegar). You can make less if you want but since it’s a bit of a process I always like making more than I need with these things so I can save some for future use.