Citrus Fruits
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Candied Grapefruit (or other citrus fruit) Peels

"The value of those wild fruits is not in the mere possession or eating of them,
but in the sight and enjoyment of them."
~ Henry David Thoreau

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Beautiful Fruit  (Grapefruit)
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Friday, November 10, 2006

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Candied Grapefruit Peels


Dessert Circus:
Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home
by Jacques Torres, 1998, William Morrow and Co.

“If you eat a lot of grapefruit and have ever wondered what to do with these peels, this is the recipe for you. I usually wait until I have the peels of at least four grapefruit. It is easy to make a large batch of these and keep them in the refrigerator. They make great petits fours and can be given away as gifts. I especially like the contrast of sweet and citrus after dinner.
The candied peels can be served three ways, depending on personal taste: rolled in granulated sugar, partially dipped in dark chocolate, or au natural.
I prefer to use grapefruit for this recipe, but you can also use orange, lemon, or
lime peels."

4 grapefruit
2 1/2 cups (17.5 ounces; 500 grams) granulated sugar

For the final presentation
1 cup (7 ounces; 200 grams) granulated sugar (optional)
26.3 ounces/750 grams bittersweet chocolate, tempered (optional)

Use a sharp knife to cur each grapefruit into quarters. Remove the fruit from the peel, leaving the white membrane or pith attached to the peel. Save the fruit for another use. Slice each quarter peel on a diagonal into strips about 1/2 inch wide. If you cut them evenly, they will look nicer when displayed.
Place the sliced grapefruit peels in a nonreactive 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and add enough water to cover the peels by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. (A rolling boil is one that cannot be stirred down.) Remove from the heat and drain. Return only the peels to the saucepan, cover again with fresh water, and repeat the boiling and draining process three more times. It is really important to change the water, because it retains the bitterness of the peel.
After the fourth boil, return the drained peels to the saucepan. Add the sugar and enough water to cover the peels by 1 inch. Place over low heat and let simmer for 2 hours. During this time, the sugar will sweeten and preserve the natural flavor of the peels. After 2 hours, they will be soft and translucent and the syrup will be thick. Let the peels cool in the syrup and keep them stored in the syrup, refrigerated, in an airtight container until you are ready to serve. They will keep this way for up to three weeks.
When ready to use, allow the peels to drain on a wire rack for a few hours to remove the excess syrup. I put my rack over a baking sheet so the syrup does not drop all over the table. Once the peels are fully drained, you have three options for serving: First, you can serve them as they are. Second, you can place the peels in a medium-size bowl filled with granulated sugar and roll the peels around in the sugar until they are well coated.
Third, you can dip the sugared peels in a bowl of tempered chocolate. Personally, I love the contrast between the bittersweet chocolate and the acidity of the grapefruit. Dip two thirds of each sugared peel into the tempered chocolate. Gently wipe the excess chocolate from the end of each peel before placing on parchment paper. The chocolate should set in a few minutes if the kitchen is not too hot.
Whatever variation you choose, present the peels on a plate, in a small bowl, or, as I do at the restaurant, in petits fours cups.
Once the peels have been sugared and dipped in chocolate, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

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