Venetian Caramelized Fruit Recipes

CARAMELIZED WINTER FRUIT CUSTARDS

Steps:

• For spiced chiffon muffins:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 9 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Sift flour and next 5 ingredients twice into medium bowl. Mix 6 tablespoons lukewarm water with vanilla in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with water mixture in 2 additions, beating batter until blended after each addition.
• Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until firm glossy peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup.
• Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool muffins in pan on rack at least 20 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Return muffins to muffin pan; cover and store at room temperature.
• For caramelized winter fruit:
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar over butter in skillet, then place apple slices and pear slices in single layer (if possible) atop sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until fruit is golden on bottom, pressing out to single layer as fruit cooks and reduces in volume, about 8 minutes. Turn fruit over in skillet and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add cranberries and cook until juices in skillet are reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
• For custard:
• Heat half and half in heavy large saucepan over medium heat just until heated through and bubbles form at edge of pan. Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and sea salt in medium bowl; whisk in cornstarch.
• Gradually add hot half and half to yolk mixture and whisk until blended. Return custard to same saucepan; stir over medium heat until custard boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in butter, then 2 tablespoons brandy. Remove from heat.
• Brush top of muffins several times with remaining 4 tablespoons brandy until absorbed. Place 1 muffin in each of 8 bowls, cups, or dessert glasses. Divide caramelized fruit among bowls. Spoon warm custard over muffins and fruit in bowls (about 1/3 cup for each). Chill at least 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

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 GRILLED FRUIT

Steps:

• Heat grill or broiler to medium-hot. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Add all fruit, and toss.
• Fold the edges of a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a shallow baking pan, and place on grill. Arrange the fruit, cut sides down, on the foil. Cook fruit until browned and caramelized around the edges, rearranging occasionally to prevent burning. Turn the fruit over, and repeat; serve.

FOIE GRAS WITH CARAMELIZED FRUITS

Steps:

• Slice the foie gras into 1/2-inch bias slices. Set aside. To prepare the caramelized fruits: in a saute pan, heat butter and sugar and cook until caramelized. Over high heat, deglaze with 1/2 cup sweet wine. Reduce slightly, and then add the apples, apricots, and grapes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sweet wine and reduce until fruits are caramelized. Reserve but keep warm.
• In another saute pan, reduce the red wine and mulberries until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Season the foie gras slices with pepper. Dip in flour and in a saute pan over high heat, saute for 1 minute on each side. To plate: arranged the caramelized fruits on plate. Spoon mulberry wine sauce reduction around fruits. Top with sauteed foie gras. Serve immediately.

VENETIAN SEAFOOD SALAD: INSALATA DI FRUTTI DI MARE VENEZIANA

Steps:

• To poach the seafood, you will need a large saucepan fitted with a colander insert. In the bottom of the pan, combine the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and water. Bring to a boil. Place the calamari in the colander and cook in the simmering water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water, transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Place the scallops in the colander and cook until opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the water and transfer to the bowl with the calamari (large sea scallops may be cut in half horizontally after cooking; bay scallops may be left whole). Place the shrimp in the colander and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water. Peel, devein, and cut in half horizontally, adding them to the bowl with the calamari and scallops. Remove the colander from the pan and place the octopus directly in the saucepan, adding more water if necessary to completely cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the octopus to a bowl and rinse under cold running water until octopus is completely cooled, about 5 minutes. Use your fingers and a small paring knife to remove the outer skin. Discard the hard mouth and head sac. Cut the tentacles and octopus on the bias into 1-inch pieces and add to the bowl with the other seafood. To prepare the salad, toss the julienned celery, carrots, bell peppers, scallion, parsley, basil, and garlic together in a serving bowl. Add the seafood and toss. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil and toss well. Season with the salt and generous grindings of pepper. Arrange 1 cup of lettuce on each serving plate. Top with equal portions of the seafood and vegetable mixture, and serve immediately. Variations: 6 to 8 steamed mussels may be added to the basic recipe and tossed with the other seafood. To extend the recipe and add a new texture dimension, 1/2 cup cubed, peeled, cooked Idaho potatoes and/or 1/2 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) cannelini beans may be added to the basic recipe. Although it isn't traditional, I like this salad with a hint of chopped cilantro, about 2 teaspoons.

FRUTTA CARAMELLATA

Steps:

• Lightly brush a large sheet of foil with oil. Remove leaves from strawberries, leaving base of stems attached. Peel orange and separate into sections, discarding pith and membranes. Pat all fruit dry.
• Hold 1 strawberry, stem end down, and carefully insert a skewer into side of strawberry until secure (do not push skewer all the way through strawberry). Skewer remaining strawberries in same manner.
• Skewer 1 orange section crosswise through thickest part (do not push skewer all the way through section). Skewer remaining sections in same manner.
• In a dry 3-quart heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan (to ensure even coloring), until deep golden. Remove pan from heat. Working very quickly and carefully and tilting saucepan, dip 1 piece of fruit into caramel, turning fruit to coat evenly. Arrange fruit on foil and immediately twist skewer, removing it. Repeat procedure with remaining fruit in same manner, arranging in one layer on foil. Let caramelized fruit stand until coating is hardened, about 2 minutes. Carefully peel fruit from foil and transfer to a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan (fruit juices may drip), arranging in one layer. Cool fruit slightly, about 15 minutes. Fruit may be caramelized 1 1/2 hours ahead.

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 NECTARINE

Steps:

• Cut nectarine all the way around and twist open. Remove pit. Sprinkle sugar on the cut side of each nectarine half.
• Place nectarine, cut-side down, onto a griddle or in a skillet over medium heat; cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer nectarines to a plate, cut-side up, and top each with plain yogurt.

VENETIAN CARAMELIZED FRUIT

Steps:

• 1 Thread the fruit pieces alternately on each of eight 6-inch wood skewers. Set a wire cooling rack on top of a tray. 2 In a skillet large enough to fit the skewers into lengthwise, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. When the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and cook until the syrup starts to brown around the edges. Then gently swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup is an even golden brown, about 2 minutes more. 3 Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, quickly dip each skewer in the syrup, turning to coat the fruit lightly but thoroughly. Let the excess syrup drain back into the pan. Place the skewers on the rack to cool. (If the syrup in the pan hardens before all of the skewers have been dipped, reheat it gently.) Serve at room temperature within 2 hours. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.