This is one of those ‘lick the spoon’ desserts made all the better by the fact that it is actually a fruit salad (and therefore by my definition good for you).  This is praise I don’t typically give lightly, and is usually reserved for something of the chocolate persuasion.  However, with this dish from Gabriel Gaté I am converted.  This recipe is delicious.  It’s easy to make, fresh and makes the most of some beautiful seasonal fruits.  Definitely one to make in summer when these fruits are at their best, although look out for the brandy kick!

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 100 g (3½ oz) raspberries
• 100 g (3½ oz) strawberries
• 1 orange, juiced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp eau de vie de marc du Languedoc (grape brandy, although I just used a standard brandy from the cupboard)
• 30 cherries
• 3 ripe peaches
• 3 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
• a little icing sugar, for dusting

How to do it

Start by weighing our your raspberries and strawberries, then juice the orange and half a lemon.  Add the juice to a small bowl with the raspberries and strawberries along with the castor sugar.

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Blitz the fruit with a stick blender to a smooth ruby red puree, and then strain through a sieve to remove the raspberry and strawberry seeds.  Stir in the brandy (or omit if making this for kiddies).

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Now pit your cherries.  I don’t have a cherry pitter to do this with, so I just cut the cherries around in half with a paring knife as you would an avocado.  Give the sides a twist with your fingers to separate and remove the pit.  Now peel and segment your peaches (I cheated with this and used preserved peaches   – it’s winter here in Melbourne and fresh summer fruit is hard to find!).

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Now load up your favourite glasses with a selection of cherries and peach segments.  Drizzle these with a generous portion of the fruit and brandy puree.  Top with a handful of toasted slivered almonds (toast your raw almonds in a frying pan for a few minutes over medium heat until they start to colour, but be careful not to burn them. It can happen quickly!).  Finally finish off with a dusting of pure icing sugar, then you can simply sit back and enjoy…and don’t forget to lick the spoon!

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