Chop & change

Candied capsicum over ice-cream? Way to go.

It happens. You want to go beyond a bowl of strawberries dredged in icing sugar with whipped cream and another store-bought pavlova. The need to impress guests (or, more important, yourself) still arises during summer, or maybe you just want to learn some new kitchen moves on a rainy day. Either way, these desserts make the most of summer fruit, combining them as interesting partners in traditional preparations. Frankly, store-bought pavlovas will become a distant memory.

The idea for this dish is originally from American chef David Burke. I have always enjoyed using vegetables in desserts. Candied tomatoes are sensational, as is young fennel. Candying even makes my most detested vegetable palatable. And, no, I will not tell you what it is. This is a very summery dessert, and once you have candied the capsicums, the rest is incredibly simple. The capsicums may also be used over ice-cream or fruit-based cakes.

STRAWBERRY AND ORANGE SALAD, MASCARPONE, PUFF PASTRY AND CANDIED CAPSICUMS

4 x sheets puff pastry, thawed

icing sugar, to dust

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Cut the pastry sheets into rectangular shapes – 10cm x 5cm. They seem large but do shrink. Place the pastry onto a greased baking tray. Place a piece of greaseproof paper over the top of the pastry and cover with another flat baking tray. Bake in the oven until golden, then remove the top baking tray and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the pastries to a cooling rack away from draughts. Mix the mascarpone with the lime juice and zest and refrigerate. To assemble, slice each puff pastry rectangle into 3 pieces. Place the bottom slices in the centre of each plate and spread with mascarpone. Top with a layer of sliced strawberries, and place the middle layer of pastry on top. Spread with more mascarpone and carefully place the orange segments along the slice. Finally, place the last piece of pastry on top of the oranges and spoon the candied capsicums over the top. Dust with icing sugar.

Serves 4.

CANDIED CAPSICUMS

2 red capsicums, finely chopped

2 tbsp brandy

Combine the capsicums, sugar and cider in a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently until the mixture begins to caramelise. Do not stir the contents of the pot, otherwise they will crystallise. Remove from the heat and whisk in the orange juice and brandy.

Serves 4.

EVERY COOK SHOULD have a decent lemon tart recipe and this is mine. It’s remarkably simple, resulting in a mouth-puckering dessert that is seductively elegant. The tart uses ludicrous quantities of eggs, cream and sugar, but it’s not as if you eat this every night. If you wish to make a shallow tart – and I really don’t know why you would – then halve the recipe.

DEEP LEMON TART, RASPBERRIES AND CITRUS SYRUP

400g sweet short-crust pastry, storebought

½ cup citrus syrup

Preheat the oven to 160?C. Line a deep 23cm loose-bottomed spring-form pan with the pastry, ensuring that it overhangs the top edge. Do not trim it off. Line the pastry with a decent-sized piece of greaseproof paper and fill it with old rice or baking beans. Bake the pastry blind until a light golden-brown – about 45 minutes – and remove from the oven. Lift out the greaseproof paper and beans and set aside. Brush the insides of the pastry with the beaten egg white, patching up any holes with leftover pastry, and return the case to the oven for 10 minutes. This will seal the pastry and stop it becoming soggy. Remove the case from the oven and cool. Once cool, trim the top of the pastry in line with the top of the baking tin by gently running a serrated knife around it. Juice the lemons and strain the juice. Break the eggs into a bowl with the sugar and whisk lightly until smooth and blended. Gently whisk in the lemon juice. Whisk the cream until lightly thickened and carefully combine with the eggs. Refrigerate this mix ideally for 12 hours, or while the pastry cooks. Before pouring the filling into the pastry case, give it a gentle stir, then bake for 1-1½ hours. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool on the kitchen bench. Serve slices of tart with raspberries and a drizzle of citrus syrup.

Serves 8.

CITRUS SYRUP

1 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

Combine the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until it reduces to a heavy syrup, then remove from the heat and cool. Do not stir the syrup after you place it in the refrigerator.

Makes 500ml.

BAKED MERINGUES WITH POACHED CHERRIES AND TOFFEE POPCORN

5 egg whites

½ cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 180?C. Lightly grease 6 ovenproof ramekins. Using the whisk attachment on an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar until the mixture is satiny smooth with stiff peaks. Place spoonfuls of meringue into the ramekins and smooth the tops. Place the ramekins in a deep roasting dish and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Cover the roasting dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes until the meringues are set. Remove the ramekins from the roasting dish and refrigerate for at least an hour. Place the cherries in a saucepan with the water and sugar and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the cherries to cool in the syrup.

To make the toffee popcorn, place the water and sugar in a small pan and cook until they form a golden caramel. Add the popcorn and gently stir. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick greaseproof paper. Allow to cool. Once it’s cold enough to handle, break the popcorn into small pieces. Invert the meringues onto a paper towel to absorb any excess water and then place on individual serving plates. Spoon the cherries around the meringue and sprinkle toffee popcorn around the plate.

Serves 6.