Broiled Grapefruit

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Ruby red grapefruit

Got Grapefruit?

I thought so.

Broil them.  Sound crazy.  Not to me.  This is one of the things that my Mom used to make when I was growing up.  I like grapefruits, but I am not crazy about them.  The tartness gets a little much after a couple of bites.  A little goes a long way.  I will say I love a grapefruit soda, grapefruit cake, grapefruit icing and ambrosia (a favorite of mine growing up!).

If you are like me, you probably received a box of fruit for Christmas that probably contains a couple of ruby reds or white grapefruit.  You can eat them plain or squeeze them for fresh juice.  Or you could make a delicious Sea Breeze cocktail  (1 part vodka, 2 parts cranberry juice, 1 part grapefruit juice and a squeeze of lime).  A cold drink doesn't sound all that appealing right now.  It is cold here and I need warm stuff to help take the chill off!  Broiling them like Mom did sounds good to me . . .

My Mom would slice the grapefruit in half,

place it on a sheet pan, carve around the sections with a pairing knife to loosen them which allows the sugar to infuse the grapefruit and it is easier to eat when its done,

sprinkle sugar or drizzle honey over the grapefruits, about 1 to 2 tablespoon per half,

and broil it until it was warm and the sugar was melted and incorporated into the grapefruit. If you like the browned bits and caramelization you get from placing them directly under the broiler then it will take about 5 minutes.  I usually put mine on the second rack away from the broiler which just melts the sugar into the grapefruit and warms it through. This will take 7 to 10 minutes.

One last tip is to slice very thinly on the top and bottom of the grapefruit so they will not roll around.  Don't puncture past the white pith or the juices will run out and that would be sad.

Yes, they are good warm and sweetened with your choice of sweetener:  Brown sugar, agave nectar, honey is really good, turbinado sugar which retains a bit of its crunch and the old standby, white granulated sugar.  I personally like brown sugar and honey.  I have never tried maple syrup or maple sugar, but why not.  Some recipes call for herbs/spices such as mint, cinnamon and ginger but I like it without.  For me this simple recipe stands well by itself, well a sprinkle of ground ginger sounds good, but I will skip the butter that some recipes recommend just to keep it healthy.  Citrus and butter in this case just doesn't work for me and it is January - let's skip the extra calories.

 Enjoy this on a cold morning or as a snack.  Even if you are not a grapefruit fan you might be pleasantly surprised.