Whole-baked nectarines with agrodolce pistachios and burrata

Servings:

There’s a finer line between fruit and veg than you may think, so while everyone’s going gaga for vegetable desserts, I’m just over here trying to slip more fruit into the main event. I’ve used Nectara™ Smooth Honey yellow nectarines from Montague, with a soft sweetness that melds into something quite sophisticated and meaty when roasted. Keeping them whole means minimal effort and high drama, as they burst forth and collapse after some quality time under the BBQ hood. If your BBQ is hood-less, feel free to give this a whirl in the oven instead – 170℃ (or 150℃ fan) will do it. I’ve made a simple agrodolce swirl with white balsamic (Forum’s my pick) and some wildflower honey to drizzle over the top, flecked with slivered pistachio for an extra pop of green. I’ve used smaller burrata balls so you can blob a few in for sharing, but one big ball in the middle will be equally as satisfying.

Instructions

Heat your BBQ with a hood to medium-high heat (between 160-170℃ is best).
Combine the oil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pop in the whole nectarines and swish around with a slotted spoon to coat. Line an oven to table heatproof tray with a round of baking paper in the base, tumble in the nectarines and then splash in a ¼ cup of water in the bottom.
Place onto a trivet in the hot grill, close the lid and cook for 1 hour, checking on them every 20 mins to see how they’re going, adding another ¼ cup water if it’s all evaporated. Once the nectarines are soft and juicy, carefully grab them out of the BBQ and set aside to cool slightly while you get on with the rest of your bits and bobs.
Mix together your dressing ingredients.
Nuzzle the burrata into some gaps (saving the dramatic ooze until it hits the table), along with the lemon cheek, then drizzle over the dressing and scatter the pistachios and herbs over the top. Finish with one final sprinkle of salt, crack of pepper and flourish of olive oil. Serve warm.