Grapefruit Tart With Tarragon Cream Food

GRAPEFRUIT TART WITH TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, slice between the sections and membranes of the grapefruit; remove the segments whole. Transfer segments to an airtight container, and chill.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds into a medium saucepan, and add pod. Add milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 sprigs tarragon.
• Place the pan over high heat. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat; cover. Steep 20 minutes. Strain, and discard vanilla pod and tarragon sprigs.
• Prepare an ice bath. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Break 2 eggs into a bowl; whisk. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk thoroughly.
• Bring infused milk to a boil again, and pour over egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return milk-egg mixture to the saucepan, and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until very thick, about 3 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, and transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Place bowl in ice bath, and let sit, whisking occasionally, until cool. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming, and transfer pastry cream to the refrigerator.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. and line a baking sheet with parchment; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 1 tablespoon heavy cream; set egg wash aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 sheet puff pastry just enough to smooth the creases. Cut a 5-by-10-inch rectangle, and place the rectangle on the baking sheet; chill. Using a paring knife or a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut 22 small leaves from the pastry scraps.
• Remove rectangle from the refrigerator. Brush the bottoms of the leaves with a dab of water; place them around the perimeter of the rectangle, arranging them in an overlapping pattern. Prick the inside of the rectangle with the tines of a fork. Brush pastry with egg wash; return to refrigerator.
• Repeat Steps 8 and 9 with the remaining sheet puff pastry.
• Bake both pieces of pastry until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer shells to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When ready to serve, lightly brush the remaining 4 tarragon sprigs with remaining egg wash; sprinkle with superfine sugar. Dry on unlined baking sheet, about 30 minutes.
• Whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Place pastry cream in a medium bowl, and whisk to loosen; fold in whipped cream. Spoon half of the pastry cream onto each pastry shell, and smooth with an offset spatula. Top with alternating pink- and white-grapefruit segments; garnish with sugared tarragon sprigs. Slice each tart into four pieces; serve.

GRAPEFRUIT SPRITZER WITH TARRAGON SYRUP

Steps:

• Add the sugar, tarragon and 1 1/2 cups water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until the sugar is just dissolved. Remove from the heat and let steep 15 minutes. Strain the syrup and refrigerate until cold.
• Add the rose wine, grapefruit seltzer, 1/2 cup simple syrup and a few slices grapefruit to a pitcher (save the remaining simple syrup for another use). Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

GRAPEFRUIT TART

Steps:

• Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round on a floured surface and fit into tart pan (if pastry breaks, press together with your fingers). Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven 10 minutes, then carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden, 13 to 15 minutes more. Transfer shell in pan to a rack to cool.
• Make filling just before serving:
• Cut peel, including all white pith, from fruit with a sharp paring knife, then cut segments free from membranes and pat dry with paper towels. Squeeze 3 tablespoons juice from membranes into a bowl. Whisk together mascarpone, candied ginger, 2 tablespoons juice, and 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar. Add remaining tablespoon juice if mixture is too thick.
• Spread ginger mascarpone evenly in tart shell and top decoratively with fruit. Dust with remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar and serve immediately.

GRAPEFRUIT TARRAGON SORBET

Steps:

• Squeeze enough juice from grapefruits to measure 2‚ cups and pour through a sieve into a large bowl. In a small saucepan bring water, sugar, and tarragon to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and simmer 5 minutes. Whisk syrup into grapefruit juice.
• Freeze mixture in an ice-cream maker. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Sorbet keeps 1 week.
• Serve sorbet garnished with candied strips.

GRAPEFRUIT TART

Steps:

• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and one in the top (if using an electric oven). Heat to 350 degrees.
• Arrange the grapefruit sections in the crust in a pinwheel design. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, 1/2 cup brown sugar, grapefruit rind and grapefruit juice. Stir to mix well.
• Spoon the mixture over the grapefruit sections, being careful not to disturb the design and not to allow any of the juice to seep over the edge of the crust. Place on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn the oven to broil.
• Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the top of the tart; if there isn't enough liquid in the tart to cause the brown sugar to bubble under the broiler, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of grapefruit juice over the sugar before broiling. Return to the oven, and broil for 4 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove from oven, and cool on a rack.

GRAPEFRUIT TART

Steps:

• Process shortbread in a blender or food processor until graham cracker crumb consistency (about 1 1/3 cup crumbs).
• Stir together shortbread crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture lightly into a greased 9-inch tart pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Whisk in juice and egg yolds. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 10-12 minutes or until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons butter and rind.
• Pour filling into prepared tart shell. Cover surface of filling directly with plastic wrap. Chill 2 1/2 hours.
• Place red grapefruit sections in an 8-inch baking disk. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar, and chill until ready to assemble. Drain grapefruit before assembly.
• Arrange segments, with outer part of segments facing the edge, around border of tart. Arrange remaining segments around tart, slightly overlapping to cover filling completely. Serve immediately. Chill leftovers.
• To make ahead: Prepare crust and filling up to 2 days ahead, but do not top with fruit. Top with grapefruit just before serving.