Sambuca Fruit Salad
"I made this a work one day for a special, I was hot out and I wanted to do something light. I served it with sliced roasted muscovy duck breast, but it is good as a salad or even a dessert. The idea was inspired by a recipe in Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook."
- Ready In:
- 3hrs
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Serves:
-
2-4
ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 pink grapefruit, segmented, zest reserved
- 1 navel orange, segmented, zest reserved
- 1 meyer lemon, segmented, zest reserved
- 1 large lime, segmented, zest reserved
- 1 peach, cut into wedges 1/3 inch thick
- 1 mango, 1/2 inch dice
- 2 cups salt water (for blanching zests)
- ice water, 1 container (for shocking zests)
- 1 1⁄2 cups sambuca romana, divided
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 stalk lemongrass, split lengthwise
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1⁄2 cup watercress, picked and washed
- 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped
directions
- Bring 1/2 cup of Sambucca to a boil, meanwhile place dried cranberries in a small bowl.
- When sambucca boils long enough for the alcohol to evaporate pour it over the cranberries, wrap with plastic wrap and reserve for later, let sit for at least 1 hour.
- In the same pot bring the remaining cup of sambucca to a boil and let all the alcohol evaporate.
- At this point add the water, sugar, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, salt and white pepper.
- Bring the syrup to a simmer over moderately low heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place in a container with a tight fitting lid for an hour to steep.
- While the syrup is steeping zest and segment all of the citrus.
- To zest the fruits you can use a zester, or use a peeler on the skin then cut into thin strips about 0.062 inch to 0.125 inch.
- Once the fruit is zested take the zest and place in a fine mesh strainer.
- Place the strainer in the boiling salted water for 1 minute then to the ice bath for 1 minute, repeate this 5 times.
- This removes the bitterness from the zest and makes it tender.
- Next remove all the remaining skin and white pith from the citrus fruit.
- Now working over a bowl, cut each segment away from the little dividing walls.
- As you finish squeeze the juice out the remaining portion of the fruit.
- Cut your peaches and dice you mango and toss with the citrus segments.
- Now that the fruit is cut, strain the syrup onto the fruit, add the cranberries and the zests, toss well.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but I prefer overnight.
- Just prior to serving garnish with watercress and sprinkle with nuts.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Anthony Audette
Providence, Rhode Island
I am a lifetime student of cooking. My first and all my fondest memories all envolve food in one way or another. I work at an upscale restaurant as a sous chef,and have recently graduated from culinary school. When I am not at work or school I throw dinner parties to keep my creative juices flowing. Naturally my true passion is food and creating happiness and pleasure though my food. My biggest pet peeve is when I see somone putting salt on their food with out tastimg it first. If I were to take a month off I would have to go to Spain and dine at El Bulli and after that try to catch up on some sleep.
