The French have the not- unjustified reputation for preparing the most punishingly rich desserts in the world — crème brulees, praline-filled truffles, buttery financiers, eclairs bulging with vanilla-flecked custard — but they are also masters of the lighter-than-air dessert, which gets its body from fruit purees or gelatin or — my favorite — Italian meringue.
I first tried this dessert at a bistro in Montmartre, a slightly funky arrondissement near Paris’ red-light district. Every time I visited this humble neighborhood place, I would walk from my apartment down the cobblestoned streets lined with cheesemongers, butchers, epiciers and little hair salons, and pass what was perhaps the world’s only transvestite accordion player, a strapping fellow with a Juliette Greco wig and a noisy little dog.
It seemed like the prototypical Parisian experience. I would sit down to a prix-fixe lunch, often a plate of small, very fresh deep- fried fish filled with sharp little bones and served with remoulade and a garnish of fried parsley, followed perhaps by a piece of excellent roasted farmhouse chicken with a gratin dauphinoise and a few drops of mahogany jus, and then a light, simple dessert like this one: supremes of orange or grapefruit served in a syrup and covered with soft meringue. The soft meringue, which I eventually realized was Italian meringue, offset the light, acidic citrus fillets with its intense sweetness and luxurious mouthfeel, which comes from whipping the egg whites while at the same time cooking them with a hot sugar syrup.
John Broening cooks at Duo and Olivea restaurants in Denver.
Grapefruit with Italian Meringue
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pink grapefruits
4 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons vodka
Touch freshly ground black pepper
2 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
Directions
Prepare the grapefruits. Cut the grapefruits into fillets: With a sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of each grapefruit, then remove the peel, including all the pith. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juices, cut between the membranes to remove the fillets. Remove any seeds.
Squeeze the membrane to extract any remaining juice. You should have about 3/4 cup of grapefruit juice. Whisk the honey and vodka into the juice. Add the grapefruit segments, season with freshly ground pepper, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Italian meringue. Place the egg whites and the cream of tartar in a mixer with a whisk attachment. Begin whisking at low-medium speed.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy- bottomed pan outfitted with a candy thermometer. Cook the sugar syrup until it reaches soft-ball stage (about 238 degrees). Remove the sugar syrup from the heat, and with the mixer on high speed carefully pour the sugar syrup in a steady stream between the bowl of the mixer and the whisk. Whisk the mixture until completely cool. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag equipped with a star tip.
Assemble. Place 6 grapefruit filets on a small, deep-dished plate, and add 3-4 tablespoons of the syrup. Cover each plate of grapefruit with a latticework pattern of meringue. If you have a blowtorch, caramelize the meringue. Serve immediately.
