Mixed Berry Skillet Cobbler

There's something magical about a bubbling fruit cobbler cooked over live fire. This mixed berry skillet cobbler is a proper crowd-pleaser — jammy berries topped with a golden, buttery scone-like crust, all done in a cast iron pan on the grill. It works brilliantly with whatever berries are in season: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries — or a mix of all four. Serve warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and watch it disappear.

Ingredients

Berry Filling

• 600g mixed fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cobbler Topping

• 240g plain flour
• 100g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of fine salt
• 113g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 180ml whole milk

Method

1. Set up your grill for indirect cooking at around 190°C. If you're using a kamado, set it up with the heat deflector in place.
2. Hull and halve any larger strawberries, leaving smaller berries whole. Toss all the berries in a bowl with the caster sugar, cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Tip the berry mixture into a 25–30cm cast iron frying pan or skillet and spread it out evenly.
4. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs — you want a few larger lumps, that's fine.
5. Pour in the milk and stir gently until just combined. Don't overmix — a slightly rough, shaggy dough gives you a better texture.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the cobbler dough over the berry filling, leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. Sprinkle generously with caster sugar.
7. Place the skillet on the indirect side of the grill, close the lid and cook for 35–45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and cooked through, and the berry filling is bubbling up around the edges.
8. Remove from the grill and leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving — the filling will be very hot straight off the grill. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or double cream.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.