Sliced apples with peanut butter. Watermelon brought to a picnic. A pear you eat, juice dribbling down your chin, as a snack to tide you over before dinner. These are likely your experiences with fruit. But in recent years, the fleshy food has been spotted more and more in an elevated capacity: served at restaurants in starters and mains.
“There’s been a shift in how we perceive fruit,” says Jed Gerrard, executive chef at White Horse, which serves pork belly French toast with green apple and native finger lime. “People are realising fruit isn’t just for desserts or snacking but that it can add complexity and balance to savoury dishes.”
Gerrard says the apple’s natural acidity and sweetness cut through the richness of the pork belly. The fresh, bright contrast also keeps the dish from feeling too heavy.
All chefs I chatted to agree: global cuisines have long used fruit in savoury dishes. Prunes and persimmons are often paired with meats in North Africa, while figs, dates and pomegranates feature in savoury Middle Eastern cuisine. Citrus and tamarind are used in various Asian cuisines.
“Incorporating fruit into savoury isn’t new — it’s been done throughout history,” says Otto Sydney’s head chef, Richard Ptacnik. “It feels as though people have simply forgotten about it and now we have the opportunity to reintroduce and refine these combinations.”
Joe Slakey, head chef at Door Knock, says diner preferences also play a role in fruits-in-savoury-dishes’ rising popularity. “People are becoming more adventurous and health conscious in their food choices,” he says. “This means fruits are starting to be celebrated for their complexity, acidity and texture.”
Door Knock serves a stracciatella with grape confit and lavosh. Slakey says he chose grapes for their burst of sweetness and refreshing acidity. The creaminess of the cheese craves contrast, and the grapes provide that. The subtle tannins in the grape skins also lend complexity. Finally, the grapes’ juices pair well with the crunchy, salt-flaked lavosh.
“Fruit can be used in many ways in a dish — it can be a garnish, salsa, purée or even the base for a sauce,” says Ptacnik. “Each application brings something unique, whether as a fresh burst of flavour, a silky texture or an extra layer of complexity that complements the other ingredients.”
Ptacnik says fruit in dishes is exciting for chefs because they’re categorised as sweet or tart while veggies lean more towards savoury. This allows for more creativity in the kitchen – the chance for chefs to create unique combinations people might not expect.
Bistro George has several savoury dishes with fruits on its menu. A chicken liver parfait with bitter orange chutney and brioche on the side. A salt and citrus cured salmon gravlax with granny smith apples. And a duck a l’orange in a pasta dish. Head chef Steven Sinclair says the key to fruit in savoury dishes is that they’re not too sweet.
“The savoury flavours will have to be predominant, but it’s always nice to taste a slight sweetness in a dish that can help balance it and add depth in flavour,” says Sinclair. “The salmon gravlax with apples is one of my favourite dishes. The apple adds a nice texture and fresh, sweet flavour to the salmon along with pickled celery and lovage.”
Slakey agrees the sweet fruit can’t overpower the savoury components. To do this, chefs need to add acidity as it keeps the fruit from adding excessive sweetness. You can do this with a pinch of salt, splash of vinegar or a spice, which can also help to amplify the fruit’s natural flavours.
He predicts that as global cuisine becomes more accessible, we will likely see more inspiration from regions that have long used fruit in their savoury dishes. Sinclair says there’s still a lot of opportunity for new creations. “The fruits in Australia are the best I’ve ever worked with and this alone is always exciting,” he says.
Gerrard says he appreciates the unexpected dimension fruit brings to a dish – it could be deep, caramelised flavour when it’s roasted, a punch of freshness when raw or a fermented funk that adds complexity. Fruit has so much range.
As Ptacnik puts it: “The future of fruit in savoury cuisine is about rediscovering these pairings, elevating them and showing people just how versatile fruit can be.”
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