Step aside, lemon and garlic, there’s a lot more on offer when it comes to South African seafood dishes. Summer is stone fruit season, and if you haven’t considered it before, you will be surprised at how perfectly our homegrown plums, peaches, and nectarines pair with our favourite fish and shellfish.
Of course, the pairing of seafood and stone fruit is rooted in South African culinary traditions – think peach chutney-infused marinade for Cape Malay pickled fish. From the orchards to the sea, these perennial favourites work so well because they meet in the same place on the palate: bright, clean and lightly sweet. It’s a stunning pairing for the warm weather of late summer.
Stone fruit and seafood come together in dishes that feel fresh, not heavy, and with flavours that are lightly layered rather than dense.
The natural acidity of peaches, nectarines, and plums cuts through the richness of oily fish such as sardines, salmon, and mackerel, serving as an inspired alternative to traditional citrus. Their gentle sweetness, and sometimes, tartness, complements the delicate yet distinctive flavours of prawns, mussels, and line fish. When grilled or charred, stone fruit develops delectable caramel notes that echo the smokiness of braaied seafood, adding depth while brightening the plate.
Texture is another strength of the stone fruit and seafood pairing. Juicy slices of luscious fruit contrast beautifully with firm fish like baked yellowtail or the crispiness of battered calamari. In salsas and salads, stone fruit brings colour, fragrance, and lustre to your seafood table.
Juicy Delicious celebrates this balance of stone fruit with the salty, rich, and clean profiles of fish and shellfish in their Late-summer Stone Fruit and Seafood recipe collection:
Deep-fried calamari tentacles with plum, chilli, coriander, and mint tartar-style mayo
Celebrity chef and culinary maestro Jenny Morris highlights the glories of in-season plums as the hero ingredient in this inspired tartar-style mayo, layered with chilli, coriander, mint, and spring onions. It’s a wow-factor, fresh and feisty accompaniment to crisp, golden calamari tentacles, but you can also use it to elevate prawns, fish fingers, and chicken schnitzel.
Sardine and stone fruit panzanella
Cookbook author and food stylist Georgia East tosses hearty cubes of sourdough bread in pesto, Parmesan, and garlic, and bakes them until crisp but springy on the inside. White flesh nectarines and heirloom tomatoes are lightly dressed and mixed with capers, wild rocket, and fresh basil. The dish is crowned with sardines for a summery salad that will surprise and delight.
Whole baked snoek with peach and rosemary butter
With this recipe, Jenny Morris gives you a fresh take on a classic South African stone fruit and seafood pairing. Peaches are sautéed with onion, garlic, rosemary, and a dash of lemon juice to create a sensational butter topping for the snoek that you will want to make part of your repertoire for life.
Charred salmon with nectarine salsa and smoky chilli sauce
This recipe is a favourite from TV Chef, Clement Pedro, and his wife, Megan. Ripe nectarines shine in a salsa with red onion, chilli, lime, herbs, and toasted almonds, paired with charred salmon fillets. The fish is plated on a smoky nectarine chilli sauce, which adds depth, creating an inspired take on the summer fish braai
Summer plum and prawn salad
A showstopper salad platter by Jenny Morris pairs juicy plums with succulent prawn meat, layered with crisp butter lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, red pepper, spring onions, and fresh coriander. The secret to success is the spicy plum-and-chilli dressing with lime, mint, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey, and Japanese mayonnaise, bringing the salad together beautifully for a celebration of sweet yet tart fruit with sweet and briny seafood.
Smoked salmon and peach sushi rice balls
Jenny Morris chooses ripe peaches, which are diced and folded with finely chopped smoked salmon, chives, and a touch of lime to create the thrilling centre for these bite-sized sushi rice balls. Rolled in toasted black and white sesame seeds, the fruit brings a gentle sweetness to the smoky salmon in a bright, summery combination that’s playful yet refined.
Crayfish tails with grilled plums & chilli butter
Perfect for a candlelight and champagne dinner, Jenny Morris describes this dish as “decadent, spicy, and ready to impress”. It’s a romantic spoil with “sweet-fleshed crayfish meeting the sultry acidity of grilled plums, smoky, sticky, and just tart enough to make the butter blush”.
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