Barbecue - American style

A dessert fondue rounds off a barbecue perfectly and allows people to enjoy cooking their own pudding. Choose between butterscotch and chocolate sauce and let people assemble their own choice of kebabs.

For the kebab:

• 8 ripe, firm apricots or plums, half & stoned
• 1 pineapple
• 2 large firm bananas
• 2 small dessert pears
• 2 fresh figs, halved
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 8 wooden skewers soaked in water to prevent charring

Prepare the apricots or plums and the figs and pineapple. Cover and leave until required. Just before you are ready, peel the bananas and pears. Core and quarter the pears and cut the bananas into chunks. Take the fruit platter to the table and keep your guests occupied by asking them to thread the fruit alternately onto the kebabs! Meanwhile heat the sauce through on the barbecue.

Sprinkle the kebabs with caster sugar and drizzle with a little honey and cook them for four or five minutes over a hot area on the barbecue, turning frequently until the fruit becomes slightly caramelised at which point you should remove it from the skewers onto individual plates. Place the warm sauce in the centre of the table and give people fondue forks to dip their fruit with.

Butterscotch sauce:

• 125g unsalted butter
• 125g castor sugar
• 175g soft dark brown sugar
• 250g golden syrup
• 600ml double cream

Gently heat the butter, sugars and golden syrup together until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring well and leave it to bubble steadily for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Return to a gentle heat to simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Sieve into a small flameproof casserole dish or fondue dish and leave to cool. Cover and refrigerate until required.

Chocolate Sauce:

• 75g milk chocolate
• 50ml double cream

Melt chocolate in a pan over simmering water, and stir in the cream.

Barbecue fondue photograph by TheLawleys, used under a creative commons attribution licence.

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