Those pink segments do not come from an ordinary ruby grapefruit. They come from a yellow-skinned soccer ball whose pith is about three quarters of an inch thick.
You get rid of all the pith and then you skin the membranes from the fruit, and then you separate the pieces. Each pink teardropped cell is taut and fat, and strangely dry on the outside. Inside they are sweet, with no grapefruit bitterness (which I don't mind, actually - the bitterness, I mean).
(Oh, and nevermind the leeks - they were for a green vichyssoise...)
I am on a watercress kick and last night's salad was those segments, fresh watercress and slow-cooked shallots. Which are a revelation - cook them for as long and as slowly as you can stand, and they turn brown and deliciously crisp. Add a little salt and sprinkle. The dressing can go either way, depending on the rest of dinner - SE Asia, with lime for sourness and fish sauce for salt; or sherry vinegar and olive oil.
Either way, pretty wonderful.
Have I mentioned that watercress is almost beyond super-food?
And the daffodils??? Another story. January is a revelation.
I know this is hard to believe for a City Dweller such as yourself but we have our own spring on the farm where we live and our own water supply from the spring. Watercress grows like crazy near the springhouse. Thick and abundant. I just started using it last year in salads and it is delicious. Can't believe it took me 56 years to discover this. I will try with the grapefruit. If you are ever in northwest Georgia you are welcome to come and forage!
ReplyDeleteI want a spring house! Thank you for the foraging offer...a cross country foraging tour?
DeleteI pomeloed for the first time on New Year's Day. I missed the bitterness of grapefruit, and I felt cheated by the absurdly thick pith. This salad, however, looks perfectly lovely.
ReplyDeleteoooh love pomelos! Although i do love a good grapefruit for breakfast too.
ReplyDeleteHmmm - Dervla, you have reminded me off half grapefruits put under the broiler for a few minutes...
DeleteYum, something new to try. Not familiar with pomelos. I will have to look for them and try. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI grew up eating pomelos when they were in season in the Philippines. We would simply eat them with coarse sea salt. Delicious! I'm going home tonight and trying it with the watercress!
ReplyDeleteI'm going straight to the fridge to eat (second best) a blood orange :-)
ReplyDeleteI love pomelos!! I eagerly await them in the winter here in the San Francisco bay area; pomelos are a treat for me. I've tried grafting them onto my navel orange and the Eureka lemon, but so far it has not worked.
ReplyDeleteI spent the first 20 years of my life living in Dorset, England and remember the watercress growing wild in the rivers around Dorchester. Very fresh and nourishing.
ReplyDelete