Yesterday we were playing with grilled fruit. While this is nothing new, we looked at the grilled fruit as only the first step. With the pineapple, after it was grilled it was put in a bowl with rosemary stalks. The rosemary was lit on fire with a torch, then the bowl was cover and the rosemary smoke was allowed to permeate the outside of the pineapple. After 30 minutes, the pineapple was pureed, then added to heavy cream which was later strained and whipped to go on a panna cotta.
If grilling is simply the first step, then what? What about juicing? If you don’t overcook the fruit or vegetable, you still have enough body that you can process it in a juicer. Or work the fruit it into a granita. I like to grill some of my vegetables before pureeing them for gazpacho. It’s just another way we’re bringing some smokiness into our food.