Caramelized Citrus Food

CARAMELIZED CITRUS

Steps:

• Using a small, sharp knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the oranges and grapefruit, then slice the peel off them vertically, taking care to remove all the white pith below the skin of the fruit.
• Spoon the yogurt onto a platter or into a large bowl. Turn each fruit on its side, then slice it into rounds that are between 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch thick. Place the sliced fruit on top of the yogurt in an attractive pattern, then place the platter or bowl into the refrigerator.
• Make the caramel. Put the sugar in a large sauté pan set over medium heat, then add to it 1/2 cup or 125 milliliters of water, and swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Let the mixture come slowly to a boil, without stirring, then lower heat slightly, and cook until the syrup has gone a very deep amber color, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add the saffron to the caramel and swirl to mix it in.
• Pour the caramel over the sliced fruit. Return to the refrigerator for an hour or so, or serve right away.

CARAMELIZED ORANGES

Steps:

• Place cold water in a heavy-based saucepan, add the sugar and bring SLOWLY to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
• (The sugar must be completely dissolved before the liquid boils.) Once the sugar is boiling, DO NOT STIR.
• Continue to boil.
• Use a pastry-brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pan, until the sugar is a rich, dark, caramel colour.
• Remove from heat and CAREFULLY add the warm water to the caramel WHICH WILL SPIT AND SPLUTTER!
• Return pan to the heat and continue stirring to dissolve the caramel in the water.
• Set aside to cool.
• Peel all the oranges, setting the peel of one aside.
• (Remove as much of the white pith as possible.) Place the peeled oranges in a bowl and pour over the caramel sauce, gently turning the fruit to cover each with sauce.
• Chill well.
• Cut the served peel into matchstick-sized pieces and cook until tender in boiling water.
• Refresh in cold water and drain.
• Sprinkle half the cooked zest over the oranges in the bowl and stir.
• Serve each chilled orange with the sauce and garnish with additional zest.
• Serves 6.

CARAMELIZED ORANGES

Steps:

• Squeeze enough juice from 3 oranges to measure 1 cup.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring but washing down any sugar crystals with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup around edges begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully add orange juice (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Cut peel, including all white pith, from remaining 6 oranges with a sharp paring knife and cut each orange crosswise into thirds.
• Heat one third of butter (1 teaspoon) in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 6 orange slices until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Sauté remaining orange slices in butter in same manner, wiping out skillet between batches if necessary. Return all orange slices to skillet along with caramel sauce and cook over moderate heat until heated through, about 1 minute.

COCONUT-LEMONGRASS TAPIOCA WITH CARAMELIZED CITRUS

Steps:

• In a small pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add the tapioca pearls and simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the tapioca is softened and almost all the way translucent, 12 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the tapioca to steam and cook through completely, 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover it and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can prepare the tapioca up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
• Wash out the pot and pour in the coconut milk. Add the lemongrass, the ginger and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Bring up to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and zest the lime into the milk. Allow the infused milk to steep while you prepare the fruit and the caramel.
• Remove the tops and bottoms of the citrus by cutting the ends with a sharp knife so each fruit sits flat on your work surface. Cut the citrus peels off into strips, running your knife down the length of the fruit and carefully removing the white pith as you slice. Cut each fruit crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and remove any visible seeds.
• Make a caramel: Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium. Add the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and forms a light golden syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook the syrup until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more, lowering the heat slightly if necessary to avoid scorching. Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup, squeeze in the juice of the lime and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Remove from heat and carefully add the fruit, a couple of pieces at a time, swirling the pan to coat the pieces in syrup. The hot syrup may bubble and splatter, so be careful here. If the caramel forms hard clumps around the citrus slices, return the skillet to heat over medium-low and continue to cook, swirling the caramel around the citrus pieces, until any hard clumps dissolve, 2 minutes.
• Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the coconut milk into a medium bowl, pressing down on the aromatics in the sieve before discarding.
• To serve, scoop a few spoonfuls of the tapioca into shallow bowls. Ladle the infused coconut milk over the top, add several slices of citrus and spoon in some of the caramel glaze. Drizzle with some maple syrup and garnish with the crushed pistachio, if using.

FRUIT CARAMEL

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until it all melts into a light gold syrup, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook to a golden brown color, about 1 minute more. Carefully add the fruit all at once and reduce the heat to medium-low. The hot syrup may bubble and become foamy.
• Continue to cook, stirring constantly until any hard clumps of caramel dissolve and the fruit pieces soften and break down, about 4 minutes. Stir in the salt and heavy cream until there are no white streaks then remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and use immediately, or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Serve warm as a topping for ice cream, pies or tarts, or use as a caramel filling for layered cake or trifles. If cold, reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat.

CARAMELIZED LEMON TART

Steps:

• for crust:
• Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Mix yolk and ice water in small bowl. Add to crumb mixture; process until dough begins to clump together. Press over bottom and up sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Pierce crust all over with fork. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue baking until pale golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer crust to rack. Maintain oven temperature.
• for filling:
• Whisk eggs, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, cream and lemon juice in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. Pour filling into tart shell.
• Bake tart until filling is set, about 40 minutes. Transfer tart to rack and cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Preheat broiler. Sift powdered sugar over tart. Broil until caramelized, watching closely, about 1 minute. Refrigerate tart 15 minutes. Remove tart pan sides. Transfer tart to platter.