“Fruits flambée” or Abdullah! Set Fire!

Watching a dessert come to life with a burst of flame has a certain magic. A spectacular dish called fruits flambée combines the drama of fire with the sweetness of fruit to create a memorable eating experience.

This fiery dessert is a symbol of joy and celebration in many parts of the world. It’s an occasion rather than just a treat. The process is always fascinating, whether you’re making it at home or eating it at a restaurant.

However, how did this ferocious custom originate? What significance does the intriguing moniker "Abdullah! Set Fire!" have in the narrative? Let’s explore the rich history of flambéed fruits and dive into its flavorful and entertaining world.

"Fruits Flambé"

This is essentially a low-alcohol version of the popular fruit salad. This recipe is from "Mehana Bansko," a restaurant in Bulgaria. Let’s give it a go! We’ll require:

Products:

One large pineapple (½ pieces); one bunch of grapes; one kiwifruit (1-2 pieces); one large orange; one plum ½ cup liquid honey; powdered sugar for sprinkling; 100–150 ml of cognac or rum; 3 egg whites and 175 g of powdered sugar are needed to make the meringue.

Dishes and tools:

1. Ovenproof dish, glass or ceramic, or a large metal tray; or a steel/cast iron frying pan with a long, preferably metal handle (Teflon ones are not suitable!); 2. A metal ladle or a small ladle with a long handle; or a coffee pot with a horizontal metal handle. 3. Long fireplace matches or a long wooden skewer and regular matches. Well, let"s begin! 1. Take half a pineapple and cut out the pulp with a knife so that you get a boat. The peel should be kept whole and undamaged – it will be the vessel in which we will set fire to the fruit. Cut off the hard core of the pineapple and throw it away. Cut out the cut out pulp into cubes approximately 1 * 1 (1.5 * 1.5) cm in size. If the pineapple is ripe, there will be a lot of juice when cutting and slicing, collect it in a bowl.

2. Wash the grapes, if they are large – cut several berries in half, remove the seeds. Now we will peel and cut the plum, kiwi, orange into pieces. The orange must be disassembled into slices and peeled from the films. The process is tedious and laborious, of course, but it tastes better. An easier way to get orange slices without films is to peel the orange with a sharp knife, like an apple, cutting off the peel together with a thin layer of pulp. After that, carefully cut out the slices. This way there is less waste, and more juice runs out, but faster and more beautifully. Collect the juice in a bowl, too, to the pineapple.

3. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. While the oven is heating, beat the egg whites with powdered sugar until they form a thick, shiny mass – like meringue. The guideline is this: lift the beater, and the egg whites behind it rise into a sharp peak and do not fall, do not settle, do not sag, but stick out like a peak . Put the egg whites on a fireproof dish using a culinary bag with a carved nozzle. Instead of a bag, you can use a plastic bag, cutting off the corner. Make egg white "piles", lightly press a grape into each, put more egg whites on top.

4. Put in a preheated oven for 7 – 10 minutes. In 10 minutes, my meringue dried out on top (like meringue) and remained moist at the bottom (like protein cream). 5. Now we assemble our dish. Put the chopped pineapple into the pineapple peel, you need to push it tightly, even press it down a little, and on top beautifully lay out the prepared fruit slices. I took another half a banana and half a pear. Place all this in the center of the dish, in a meringue ring, decorate the meringue with fruit too. 6. Pineapple/orange juice, carefully collected in a bowl, mix with 1/3 cup of honey (I took 1.5 tablespoons) and pour over the fruit. You can pour only honey, without juice, or even not pour anything at all, if you don’t like honey. Put most of the glaze inside the pineapple, sprinkle the fruit on the plate a little so as not to wet the meringue too much. Sprinkle everything generously with powdered sugar.

7. Well, the preparatory part is finished. Now the most exciting part. The actual arson! Pour the selected alcoholic drink (I used rum) into a metal container, and be sure to heat it up, because cold ignites poorly. Heat it up slightly, this is important! If you overheat it, the alcohol will begin to evaporate actively and when ignited it will “puff” quite strongly and high . I recommend trying away from cabinets, curtains, and don’t bend over to the container, light with a long match, protect your hair. Although I got by without surprises, but safety precautions, you know… are better to follow . Another note – it didn"t light well in the Turk, it went out quickly, so I poured it into a small metal ladle. 8. Turn off the lights . Now you can slowly pour the burning rum (cognac) onto the fruit. With the lights off it looks amazingly beautiful – a transparent, flowing blue flame flows from the ladle. Delicate petals of blue fire on the fruit, as if embracing, flowing around the slices… Very romantic! Burns for several minutes. Don"t pour it all at once, in portions – you"ll prolong the pleasure, and the alcohol will evaporate well. To my great disappointment, I couldn"t take a good photo of this moment… In the light all the magic is lost and the fire is not visible, and in the dark the sharpness is lost. And you have to see it with your own eyes, being a participant – a fire show is worth it – do it . Important: only pour it onto the fruit in the pineapple. Do not wet the meringue – the bottom will get soggy, and the top will burn well, and the pineapple leaves-scales on the outside can catch fire, which will not add to the attractiveness of the dish … the smell from them will be disgusting. And inside the pineapple, the rum will mix with the juice and honey, and you will get an amazingly aromatic sweet rum (or cognac) sauce. We admire this burning and fragrant splendor, take spoons, plates, and… Happy New Year! Let them burn with a blue flame, all the worries of the outgoing year! Impressions and comments: Tested on members of the family crew. Well, we liked it! – My ten-year-old daughter happily participated in the preparation, peeled and cut, and tried the protein cream. Wildly delighted with the "fiery" part! We categorically did not like the fruits with rum sauce (it is understandable, not a children"s version of a fruit salad), but the fruits that were laid out around the pineapple and not poured were successfully eaten, as was the meringue. Convenient – on one dish both the "children"s" and "adult" parts of the dessert For the "children"s" part you need prepare the filling (yogurt, cream) in advance! – The husband appreciated the combination of fruit salad and rum sauce. For the New Year, he asked to make something similar with cognac – he doesn"t like rum. Yes, he also liked the meringue with a grape inside. Although I would have put a banana inside – the grape turned the meringue blue, so funny … and strange. – I liked the meringue with fruits, you can decorate fruit salads with pieces of meringue, I haven"t done this before. – I highly recommend practicing in advance if you choose flambé for the New Year"s table. You will feel the process, and you will also evaluate the taste – is it suitable or not. Adjust the recipe in accordance with your taste preferences. For example, you can quickly cook flambé bananas (recipe below). – When "set on fire", the powdered sugar on the fruit baked a little and slightly-slightly crunched in places, quite pleasant.

Bon appetit!

A delightful and engaging way to introduce adults and kids to the world of cooking is with fruits flambée. Fruit that has been burned makes a delicious and visually appealing dish that is also a fun family activity. Making sure it’s done safely, with adults managing the flames while children take in the show, is crucial. This article explains how to make this delicious dish at home and provides advice on how to make it safe and memorable for everyone.

A dramatic touch to your kitchen can be added with ease by creating fruit flambées at home. Your loved ones and guests will be amazed by the fiery explosion and the deep, caramelized flavors.

Additionally, it’s a fantastic chance to introduce kids to new flavors and cooking methods—of course, with close supervision. Along with producing a delectable treat, the process makes for an unforgettable encounter.

By exercising caution and practicing, you can safely experience the fun of flame-braising fruits, giving your family’s meals a special touch.

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