Carmen's Bowl

29/10 CARMEN'S BOWL

Self portrait J.Gurr '15

 

Fruit salad long has been a graveyard for fruit, where little joy is ever found. A serious issue that needs addressing and something I feel obsessive about. Through all civilisation an abundance of fruit has been a rare joyous thing, a vision of promise. Never more apparent than when cascading from Carmen Miranda's head, but somewhere along the way it fell into a bowl and died.

I come from a family of fruit old-masters, My Mother and Grandmother can outdo Botticelli or Caravaggio in a fruit platter any day. However I have grown up always loathing fruit salad. It has always been the place to carelessly throw remaining fruit together, a by by-product of their fruit renaissance. Chunks of browning apple, banana, orange in a bowl inspired the most passionate hatred - enough to take action.

I've been working to give fruit salad its own renaissance, letting the inner Carmen Miranda take over. This is more a method than recipe, apply where you please, it's what you do with the fruits that are given to you.

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

1 Banana
2/3 Mango
1 Kiwi Fruit
1/2 dozen Strawberries
Handfull Grapes
2 Passion fruit
1 tbls Maple Syrup



What I did - Less recipe than philosophy 

SIZE - No matter what fruit you have at hand or what you intend to use, the key is to slice everything small, almost "what was this to start with" small. I can't tell you how to chop everything, but as a guide Bananas are cut into quarters lengthways and then diced. Grapes are cut into three or four transparent discs and strawberries are cut into small ruby shards. This ensures that with every mouthful you are getting a complete symphony of fruit, not an out of tune soloist.

FRUIT - The choice of fruit is entirely dependant on what you have and what's in season, leaving you with little control. The important decision is what not to use, and to me the the only permanent emission from any fruit salad is apple - that's a deal breaker ladies*. Base what to use on the textures, sweetness, colour, season and if there's something especially good available. 

DRESSING - The final step is something usually reserved for savoury salads, but it makes perfect sense to unify the varied fruits with a dressing. My go to is Maple Syrup (as good quality as possible, should be able to taste the sap) cautiously drizzled over and turned through the fruit. The woody sweetness shouldn't overpower, instead enhance the flavours and unify all the natural juices. It also gives a ridiculous gloss, akin to Carrie Bradshaws 90s lipgloss. Final step is to whip the sweetness back in line, the pulp of a passion fruit or a small squeeze of lemon does the trick.

Trust in the force, and the fruit salad will be strong with you. Also so delicious you will Carmen Miranda about with a fruity glow for days.

JG

*There is nothing about the acidic burn or crisp texture that brings anything to the bowl - and spurned my mistaken loathing for fruit salad. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EVER USE APPLE, there is a reason Snow White died 🍏😵.