As a beloved Top Chef star and judge, Gregory Gourdet captured the culinary imaginations of so many. Since becoming sober in 2009, Gourdet has embraced a healthy, paleo-friendly, dairy- and gluten-free cooking style that has endeared him to folks around the world.
His new cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is filled with globally inspired dishes free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains. Perhaps, most shockingly: everything is absolutely delicious
While there were much more complex recipes in the book than the one we chose to feature, we simply couldn’t resist this giant fruit plate from Chef Gregory — insanely simple, but just to satistfying!
A Big Fruit Plate with Salty Chile Sugar
Serves 6
In Southeast Asia, people often enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables dipped in a mixture of salt, sugar, and chile. I love it, too, as a way to serve a low-key, low-effort summer dessert to friends, as the sun sets and the grill cools off from dinner. The bounty in the photo showcases just some of your options and offers a way to go all out if you like. Buy what looks best (I veer toward sweet-tart fruits and crunchy, mild vegetables), cut it into two-bite pieces, and have everyone dip into this blend of salt, smoky chiles, coconut sugar, and a bit of lime zest to take it from tasty to terrific.
Ingredients:
1 lime
2 tablespoons Smoky Chile Salt (buy your own or see page 325 to make at home)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Fresh fruit to generously serve 6 people
Directions:
Use a Microplane to zest the lime onto a small plate, reserving the remaining lime for another use.
Leave the zest uncovered on the counter for about 20 minutes while you cut all that beautiful fruit into party-friendly, two-bite pieces. This allows the zest to dry a bit, so it doesn’t clump when you add it to the salt mixture.
Combine the chile salt and coconut sugar in a small bowl. When the lime has dried a bit, add it to the bowl and stir well.
Arrange the sliced fruits on a platter.
Serve with the salty chile sugar for dipping.
