From snoek basted with apricot jam, boerewors rolls topped with peach chutney and ribs smothered in sticky plum sauce, South Africans know how well stone fruit goes with our favourite pastime – a braai! All through the summer months there’s a steady supply of locally grown peaches, nectarines and plums. While they are juicy and delicious as whole fruit enjoyed at any time of day, there’s so much more we can do with this versatile fruit to elevate our entertaining and family meals.
Wilechia van der Westhuizen from Juicy Delicious says, “There’s nothing more South African, and more unifying in our country, than lighting up the fire and gathering friends and family for a summer braai. We are so fortunate to also have access to farm-fresh peaches, nectarines and plums throughout the summer months. Of course, they are delicious in desserts from ice-creams to crumbles and cobblers. But stone fruit also pairs wonderfully in savoury dishes, from salads and roasts to curries and braais.”
Before the summer ends, try out this braai recipe created by MasterChef winner, Shawn Godfrey aka The Roasted Dad.
Plum, pancetta and fresh mozzarella calzone with fresh watercress
Ingredients
- 500g of store-bought white bread dough (if you want to make your own bread dough from scratch, you can follow a simple white bread flour recipe)
- 4 plums, halved and pitted and cut into slices
- 100g pancetta or streaky bacon
- 150g fresh bocconcini mozzarella cheese
- 80g watercress (destalked) or rocket
- 1 tsp apple smoke liquid
- 1 cup sushi mayonnaise
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup of flour
How to prepare the calzone
- Place the flour onto a wooden board, then hand roll your dough into one large ball.
- Divide the ball into 4 smaller balls and place these on the flour covered board.
- Cover the dough balls with a cotton cloth and leave them rise in a warm place.
- Mix the smoke liquid and mayo and set aside in the fridge.
- Once the dough has risen (this normally takes around an hour) flatten out the dough into a pizza shape.
Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C or low mark on the pizza oven. - Assemble the calzone by placing the ingredients on one half of the pizza dough (it is easiest to only add the ingredients after placing the dough on the pizza paddle if using a pizza oven or on a baking tray if in the oven).
- Start with the plums, then pancetta slices, then fresh mozzarella and finally a healthy drizzling of the smoky mayonnaise.
- Fold over the other half of the dough and gently press down the edges with your finger. (you can also leave it open and make it like a pita but I prefer the sealed version)
- Bake the calzone in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown then garnish with watercress leaves or rocket.
For more inspiration and recipes, follow @juicydelicioussa on Instagram or visit www.juicydelicious.co.za