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.
