Don’t Leave the Rind Behind

I love grapefruit, but sometimes preparing and eating a
grapefruit half seems like a lot of work.
I love grapefruit, but sometimes preparing and eating a grapefruit half seems like a lot of work. So when a friend brought my husband and I a bag of various-sized home-grown grapefruit, I quartered them and squeezed the juice to have on hand, resulting in a big bag of grapefruit peels.

This seemed like a good time to  try something I have long wanted to do – make candied grapefruit rind. When I’ve tasted this sweet delight, I’ve really enjoy the grapefruit’s tartness combined with the sticky sweetness of the sugar that coats it.

Well, if it was work I was trying to avoid, I picked the wrong project. I cannot pretend this isn’t a time-consuming enterprise, but you can definitely work on other kitchen tasks while you’re doing this.

Here is the basic method for candied peel, from “The Gourmet Cookbook.” As you will see, it doesn’t require as much effort as time. While I was waiting for the blanching step to come to a boil each time, I worked on the Polenta Quick Bread with Lemon and Thyme (the recipe is shown below).

Candied Grapefruit Peel

2 small grapefruits

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup super-fine granulated sugar

Step 1: With peel still on fruit, quarter peel lengthwise then remove, keeping pieces of peel intact. Reserve fruit for another use. Diagonally cut pieces of peel into 1/3-inch-wide strips. (Or use peel from juiced fruit.)

Step 2: Put peel in a 3-quart saucepan filled with cold water, and bring slowly to a boil over moderate heat. Boil 1 minute and drain. Repeat procedure four times to remove bitterness. Blanching for a total of five times may seem excessive, but each round removes bitterness and softens the peel. (You do not want to hasten this process by using high heat, as if the water boils  too hard, the peel will disintegrate.)

Step 3:  Lightly oil a large rack, and set it in a shallow baking pan.

Step 4: Bring regular granulated sugar and water to a boil in a large heavy skillet, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peel and boil, stirring, until most of syrup is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Take it of the heat when a small amount of syrup remains in the pan. If it is all absorbed, the pan will immediately get too hot and the syrup will crystallize.

Step 5: Turn out peel onto rack, separating pieces. Dry candied peel, uncovered, at room temperature until only slightly sticky, 4 to 8 hours. Toss, a few pieces at a time, in superfine sugar, shaking off excess.

Notes:

n If sugar syrup begins to crystallize on peel, turn out of skillet immediately. Peel will still be good but will have a different appearance, and it won’t need a sugar coating.

n Candied peel keeps in an airtight container at room temperature one week or chilled one month. If chilled peel becomes too moist, pat dry and re-roll in sugar.

n The same method can be used for strips of orange peel.

For a gussied-up presentation of either grapefruit or orange peel, dip the candied pieces in  chocolate:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, or chocolate morsels

Step 1: Melt chocolate in a bowl in a microwave or in the top of a double-boiler. Stir before it appears completely melted, and return to heat source for short periods until just melted.

Step 2: Dip half of each strip into chocolate. Cool on waxed paper and let sit at room temperature until chocolate is firm.

Step 3: Store in a covered container, between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in refrigerator up to two weeks.

These would be a great finale to a rich dinner, accompanied by small cookies or ice cream and espresso.

Speaking of ice cream, here is a tempting-sounding recipe from “Nigella Bites” by Nigella Lawson. I have not tried this yet, but it is high on my list.

Let me quote Nigella herself on why this dessert does not send one into “deranged-superwoman overdrive. … All you do to make this is zest and slice some fruit, add confectioners’ sugar and cream, whisk and freeze … no stirring or churning and it tastes unlike anything you could buy.”

Intrigued? Here is the recipe:

Bitter Orange Ice Cream

Makes 6 servings

3 Seville oranges (hard to find here in California) or 1 eating orange and 2 limes

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

wafers to serve (optional)

Step 1: If using Seville oranges, grate the zest of two of them. Squeeze the juice of all three, and pour into a bowl with zest and sugar. If you’re going for the sweet orange and lime option,  grate the  zest of the orange and one of the limes, juice them all and add to the sugar as before.

Step 2: Stir to dissolve the sugar, and add the heavy cream.

Step 3: Whip everything until it holds soft peaks, then turn into a shallow airtight container (of approximately 2 quarts) with a lid.

Step 4: Cover and freeze until firm (from three to five hours). Remove to ripen for 15-20 minutes (or 30-40 minutes in the refrigerator) before eating.

Step 5: Serve in a bowl, in cones or with wafers.

Polenta Quick Bread with Lemon and Thyme

from Martha Stewart Living

Makes one 9-by 5-inch loaf 

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 large eggs   

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish    

1 cup fine yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)   

1 teaspoon baking powder   

3/4 teaspoon  coarse salt   

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, half coarsely chopped and half whole

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I used my small mixer with regular beaters and it turned out fine). Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Step 2: Add lemon zest; mix 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and thyme. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined. Stir in chopped pine nuts.

Step 3: Turn batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with thyme. Bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to two days.

Elizabeth Gage is a writer who lives in Hollister. She can be reached at ee******@***oo.com.