Torched Ruby Red Grapefruit with Mint

Knocking off dishes we’ve liked at restaurants is a fun little challenge.  Here’s a riff on a dish we had at Pulino’s on the Bowery.   Nothing too complicated, but oh so good…

The Goods:

• Ruby Red Grapefruit
• Unrefined Cane Sugar
• Fresh Mint

The Execution:

Stack a few mint leaves on top of each other.  Roll up like a cigar, slice thinly across the roll into little ribbons — “chiffonade”.  Slice grapefruit in half, sprinkle liberally with the cane sugar.  Hit it with the kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar into a crisp layer (think brûlée).   Top with chiffonade of mint.

The Takeaway:

This could just as easily be a dessert than a breakfast.  But as a brunch starter it’s a real winner.  Sweet, bitter, crunchy, juicy.  Lots of good tension in the contrasts.  The little one loves this dish, she can put away two grapefruit halves before you even know what happened.

p.s. –  If you don’t have the kitchen torch, you could do this under the broiler.  But get it real close to the heat so it melts the sugar quickly without cooking the grapefruit.