Maceration Means Elegant Simplification In Preparing Fruit

June 06, 1991|By Peter Kump. Copyright 1991 by Peter Kump.

The first dessert we teach at our cooking school-in the first lesson of the first course every student must take-is macerated fruit. The beauty of this dessert is its elegant simplicity: Any novice can do it, and even pros can be proud of the end result.

To macerate (from the French word macerer, meaning to steep or soak) is to exchange flavors. Maceration usually is applied to fruit; the fruit is soaked in a flavorful liquid, such as wine, liqueur, brandy or sugar syrup. The liquid imparts flavor to the fruit and draws out the fruit`s juices, which in turn make the liquid more flavorful.

Nothing could be simpler and tastier than this marriage of flavors. And there are more benefits to macerated fruit: You can do it ahead (in fact, the flavors will only deepen); and you can do it year-round, with fresh, seasonal berries and fruit in the spring and summer, and dried or citrus fruit in the colder months.

We are told that as a whole we should all be eating more vegetables and fruits. Macerated fruit is clearly a healthy way to do this.

Techniques of macerating

- Be certain your fruit is ripe and flavorful. Often fruits available in our stores need to be kept at room temperature, loosely wrapped in paper, to ripen fully.

- Prepare fruit to be macerated by peeling, if needed, and cutting into slices, chunks or segments.

- Sprinkle lightly with sugar, which draws out some of the natural juices.

- Dribble the macerating liquid over the fruit and let rest in a cool place.


Preparation time: 5 minutes

Chilling time: Several hours

Yield: 4 servings

1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and picked over (or 1 package frozen blueberries, thawed and drained)

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup creme fraiche, sour cream or non-fat yogurt


1. Place blueberries in a bowl and sweeten with maple syrup. Refrigerate several hours or overnight, until ready to serve.

2. Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each portion, sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon and serve.


Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

2 cantaloupes, well chilled

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup port wine

1. Cut each cantaloupe in half horizontally, (not through the stem end), scoop out and discard the seeds. Sprinkle the insides with the sugar and keep cool until ready to serve.

2. Before serving, pour 2 tablespoons of port in the center of each half. SLICED ORANGES WITH GRAND MARNIER

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

4 large navel oranges

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Semisweet chocolate, optional

1. To peel the oranges, slice off the top (stem) and bottom of each orange and sit the orange flat on a cutting board. With a small, sharp knife, using a sawing motion, cut the skin off in strips, cutting from top to bottom in an arc, following the shape of the fruit. Be sure to remove all of the white pith, which is bitter.

2. Slice oranges into thin rounds and arrange the rounds, overlapping, on plates. Sprinkle with sugar.

3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur over each portion. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not serving right away.

4. Just before serving, grate some chocolate over each dish, if desired.Preparation time: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour or more

Yield: 4 servings

This Italian dessert is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

4 ripe peaches

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 whole clove

1 strip (1-inch) of orange rind

1. Peel and halve the peaches, discarding the pits. Sprinkle with the sugar.

2. Mix together the wine and lemon juice and pour over the peaches. Add the clove and orange rind and refrigerate for a minimum of an hour, turning occasionally.

3. Remove orange peel and clove before serving.


Preparation time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: About 4 hours

Yield: 6 servings

This is a Portuguese favorite, adapted from Jean Anderson`s book, ``The Food of Portugal.`` To make certain the pineapple is ripe, smell it first (it should have a rich aroma). An inner leaf should come out easily when gently pulled.

1 large ripe pineapple, 3 3/4 to 4 pounds

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons ruby port wine

1/4 cup freshly minced mint and fresh mint sprigs to garnish

1. Slice the top and bottom off the pineapple, stand it on end and, slicing straight down, remove all the prickly peel. Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 8 wedges, slice off the hard core at the point of each wedge, then slice the wedges about 1/4 inch thick, making small fan-shaped pieces. Place the pineapple fans in a large non-reactive bowl, add the sugar and toss to mix. Let rest about 30 minutes.

2. Add the port, toss gently, cover and chill 3 to 4 hours.

3. Add the mint, toss again and chill 30 minutes longer. To serve, spoon into stemmed goblets and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.


Preparation time: 5 minutes

Standing time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

1 pint raspberries


1/2 cup light red wine, such as beaujolais