Saturday, January 15, 2011

Broiled Grapefruit

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.

17 comments:

  1. Mmmm, I love grapefruit just plain but I think I am going to have to try this!

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  2. yummy delicious broiled grapefruit with sugar

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  3. wow, I have never heard of broiled grapefruit before. It sounds very delicious though! Luckily I have a few rolling around in my fridge right now...
    Looks like I found my midnight snack!

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  4. This sounds fabulous I wish I known this way to eat grapefruits sooner! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  5. Oh that looks delicious. Will have to try that!

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  6. This is so different! I love grapefruit with a little sugar but have never heard of broiling it. I am going to try this! Thanks!

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  7. I have 3 beautiful ruby red grapefruits in my fridge...I think it's time to try one broiled :)

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  8. I eat alot of fruits...maybe to compensate for all the cakes i eat...lol. But, i have never thought of broiling grapefruit. I am sure that made it even more softer and juicier.

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  9. I never would have thought of this so thank you for sharing! I like the idea of a bit of caramelization on the top for the taste and the texture.

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  10. Citrus fruits are always a refreshing way to start the day, and this is no exception! Perfect idea for winter eating of grapefruits. Easy and tasty, great!

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  11. Butter on grapefruit? I like sugar on ine, even if it's broiled. Memories of our childhood warm us up, especially on cold days:)

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  12. I was reading a broiled-grapefruit recipe from Ottolenghi just a couple of days back and he studs his grapefruits with star anise. Your grapefruits look so yummy....I would definitely try them out with spices, maybe ginger candied or otherwise and even maple syrup sounds absolutely yum!

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  13. I don't think it sounds crazy at all! (I also love broiled pineapple...!)

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  14. Never thought to broil them...sounds crazy delicious if you ask me..Great photos!!!

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  15. Wow I've never tried to broil grapefruit before but this looks amazing! What a creative idea. Thanks for sharing. I'm definitely going to try this :-)

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  16. Brings back memories, I was raised on these. My mom always served them for company breakfast and topped with a cherry! We use raw sugar.

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