I set fire to a grapefruit! It was awesome. And also delicious and fancy. And the fire was totally safe. Let me tell you about it.
Over the weekend Ryan and I had dinner with some friends who were visiting from out of town, and they were telling us all the DC things they were going to do before they left. The next day they were going to Farmers, Fishers, Bakers on the Georgetown waterfront, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I was jealous. I know some people who had just ok experiences there, but I really loved their brunch. I think it’s a pretty sizable buffet with a diverse array of choices. For example, there’s chocolate chip waffles, carved meats, Bloody Mary’s, chips and guacamole, and brûléed grapefruit.
The grapefruit is so simple, yet really delicious and I realized I could make it at home! My brother bought me a kitchen torch for my birthday, so I can have grapefruit brûlée whenever I want. I’ve been excited and scared to use the kitchen torch, but this seemed like the perfect first use since I wasn’t make something too complicated.
So Sunday morning, I walked to the grocery store, I bought two grapefruits, I made Ryan “supervise” the torch set up, and then we were good to go. It was pretty easy to make and really yummy. I think Ryan and I were startled by how much a little caramelized sugar can enhance a grapefruit. If you don’t have a torch, you can still do this with your oven broiler. Anyway, here’s how we did it – and there’s even the first ever Cooking is Messy video.
Ingredients:
1 grapefruit
2 tbsp raw sugar (I’m sure you can use granulated, but all the recipes I found recommended raw)
Directions:
1. Cut grape fruit in half along the equator.
2. Cut a little bit of skin off of the bottom of each half. This is so it will sit flat when you’re torching it.
3. Place the grapefruit fruit side down on a paper towel. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This is to absorb excess juice.
4. Flip the grapefruit halves over. Using a paring knife, make a cut all the way around between the fruit and skin. Also cut between the fruit sections. Don’t get crazy with this, you’re doing this just to loosen the fruit so it will be easier to eat in the end.
5. Sprinkle the tops with 1 tbsp sugar.
6. Using the kitchen torch, heat the sugar until it turns caramel brown. It will smell awesome and look awesome and that’s how you’ll know it’s done. Here’s a video of me using the torch. If you are using a broiler, put the grapefruit in the broiler until it reaches desired color. Check it regularly, but it should take about 6-8 minutes.
7. Eat it! We probably could have browned it more, but it was so wonderful smelling that we couldn’t wait any longer!
Messy level: Low! This requires almost no utensils and there’s nothing to spill. It’s so easy to make as long as you’re not afraid of fire.
