January in Kona brings in a bounty of citrus of all variety. It is a beautiful sight to see trees overflowing with the warm , vibrantly colored globes of oranges, grapefruits, limes , lemons, kumquats, pomelos and calamansi. During the darkness and chill of winter, the tart and energizing taste of citrus brings sunshine to my day. After a month( or two) of holiday indulgences, this refreshing and light dessert is pure joy. Aspic is too often considered an outdated , fuddy-duddy dish, but I beg to differ! Once you try this this tantalizing treat, you too will change your mind. The subtle sweetness of honey combined with the fresh mint turn this simple fruit blend into an uncommonly good Citrus Delight.
This aspic is based on a recipe by Mark Bittman, who specializes in making minimalist dishes that taste wonderful! Remember, you can use other kinds of oranges or grapefruits, whatever you have on hand. These fruits were what I had growing nearby.
Citrus Delight
Ingredients:
- 2 pink grapefruits
- 1 tangelo
- 4 mandarin oranges
- 2 juice oranges squeezed
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Wilelaiki honey
- 1 envelope unflavored geletin
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves plus a few whole leaves for garnish.
Directions:
- Over a bowl to contain the juices, start sectioning the fruit. Try to remove as much of the pith and membrane as possible. I did not bother to remove the membranes of the mandarin orange sections as they were too delicate. Cut the fruit sections into bite sized pieces. Reserve all the juice that collects from sectioning the fruit in the bowl. Strain the fruit while retaining all the juice in the bowl. Set the fruit aside. Squeeze the juice of the oranges directly into the bowl of collected fruit juice.
- In another bowl, toss the fruit with the honey and chopped mint. Divide this into 4 small bowls or cups. Put the juices into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Wait a few minutes , then put the pan over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. Take off the heat and let cool slightly, then pout the mixture over the fruit in the cups.
- Put the fruit cups into the refrigerator for at least an hour or until the gelatin sets. Garnish each cup with a mint sprig and serve.
