This recipe allows you to choose and use whichever of the summer stoned-fruits catch your eye. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, plum and greengages are each equally fabulous here and a mix of two or three is probably best for a nice balance of colour and flavour.
The cocoa nib and walnut crumb is lighter than a crumble but headed in the same direction. (It is also gluten -free.)
Servings: 4
small piece of butter
550g stones fruit - plums, peaches etc
lemon
21/2tbsp caster sugar
40g shelled walnuts
20g large rolled oats
40g roasted cocoa nibs
40g demerara sugar
20g fridge-cold salted butter
Preheat the oven to 210C.
Choose a baking dish in which the halved fruits will sit snugly in a single layer. Grease it with the small piece of butter. Halve the fruits and remove the stones. Sit the pieces cut-side up in the dish - you might need to cut large peaches or nectarines into quarters or sixths to make sure the fruits are all at a similar height in the dish. Give a squeeze of lemon over the top and scatter over the caster sugar. Put into the oven for 15 mins for the fruits to soften and caramelise.
While the fruits are roasting, make the crumb topping. Dry fry the walnut pieces for a minute or two to get their oils going. Tip into a large mixing bowl along with the oats, cocoa nibs, demerara sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix it all together with your fingers, breaking the walnuts into smaller pieces as you do it. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the walnut mix. Put the bowl into the fridge until the 15 mins roasting time for the fruits is up.
Scatter the cocoa nib and walnut crumb topping over the fruits. It won’t - and shouldn’t - completely cover it. You want to be able to see some of the fruits underneath. Return the dish to the oven for 10 mins.
Serve while still warm, with cream or ice-cream.
(This recipe originally featured for Borough Market.)