A Study In Dessert: Grapefruit

Components:  Grapefruit panna cotta (with olive oil cake), Campari meringue, dehydrated grapefruit, caramelized vanilla honey, grapefruit marmalade, grapefruit segments, grapefruit granite

Inspiration: How many ways can I use grapefruit in one dessert?

Technique:  Fruit panna cottas are never easy to develop as its tough to achieve the right balance of cream and milk that will create the silken texture that panna cotta is beloved for while allowing the fruit’s flavor to shine. This feat was complicated by the fleeting nature of a grapefruit—she’s a cheeky little tart who can be difficult to please. Too much cream obscured the grapefruit’s flavor while too much milk left the panna cotta tasting flat and uninspiring. Reducing grapefruit juice and infusing the reduction with the zest of an Oro Blanco provided an intense grapefruit flavor that held its own against the creamy backdrop. The Campari meringue is mixed as a French meringue with dried egg whites added to support the copious amount of alcohol. The meringue is spread onto a half sheet pan and dried at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then broken into random shards for plating. In lieu of a dehydrator, the grapefruit segments are halved and dried in a previously warmed oven with the thermostat turned off. For the marmalade, I diced the grapefruit rind, blanched it once, and cooked the peels in an equal part of simple syrup. When the peel became translucent, I added one more part of sugar, the grapefruit membrane (a great source of pectin), and simmered the marmalade on low heat until the peel became soft and translucent.

Comments: I keep at least one fruit dessert on my menu year-round because fruit is a wonderful digestif and palate cleanser, a role that becomes more poignant during winter months when menus are rife with braised meats and hearty stews.  In a cruel twist of fate, there is precious little fruit to choose from during the Northeastern winter which makes it even more crucial to use whole fruit, and not just its juice or its flesh. Originally, I envisioned an all-white dessert to reflect the winter season and designed the dessert using Oro Blanco. Practically speaking, its thick rind made it easier to reap the overtly floral, citrus zest. But sadly, the taste of its flesh made one pine for a real grapefruit so I used Ruby Red grapefruit. This dessert also demonstrates how bitter tastes  can balance sweet and creamy components to create a refreshing dessert. As such, this dessert is one of my favorite compositions to date.