Sautéing and Caramelizing Fruit

To give fruit a rich syrupy flavor, it can be sautéed in butter. Cherries, apples, pears, peaches, pineapple and bananas are good candidates as they keep their shape well. The fruit should be peeled, cored or seeded if necessary, then cut into pieces of equal size that cook evenly. Apples are sliced into rings, pears and peaches cut in wedges, pineapple into chunks, and bananas into diagonal slices or long halves. Plums and apricots should be halved and pitted before sautéing, while small fruits such as cherries may only need pitting and stemming.