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Citrus crunch

Name: Citrus crunch
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 16 min
Yield: 50 g
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 clementines; 100 g caster sugar; 50 ml water

These are fine crumbs of candied citrus peel. It can be used to sprinkle a dessert or other preparation to add both crunch and the flavour of the chosen citrus fruit. It is easy to prepare well in advance, and will keep in an airtight jar. This recipe is given for clementines, but can be made with all citrus fruits: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit...

251 K 3.9/5 (25 reviews)

1 hour 20 min. difficulté

Easy

2.50 €

50 g

3 Ingredients

Last modified on: February 2^nd 2016

For 50 g, you will need:

1 3 clementines
2 100 g caster sugar
3 50 ml water
Total weight: 450 grams

Times for this recipe

Preparation: 40 min.

Cooking: 40 min.

All in all: 1 hour 20 min.

When should you start or finish this recipe?

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Step by step recipe

Stage 1 - ⌛ 20 min.

Take 3 clementines, organic if possible.

Scrub fruit thoroughly, dry them, then with a very sharp knife cut off as much zest as you can.

Stage 2

The goal is to remove the zest, leaving the white pith on the fruit as far as possible. This pith is responsible for the bitterness.

Another possible technique is to use a peeler, but it must very be very sharp.

Stage 3

Continue like this for all the clementines, which you can then use for another recipe, or eat.

Stage 4

The volume of peel is quite small, but this is normal.

Stage 5 - ⌛ 5 min.

Put 100 g caster sugar and 50 ml water in a pan, heat to dissolve.

Stage 6 - ⌛ 1 min.

Then add the clementine peel.

Stage 7 - ⌛ 10 min.

Reduce over medium heat, until obtaining a thick syrup around the peel.

Stage 8 - ⌛ 3 min.

Pour peel and syrup onto a rack (or into a chinois or a strainer) to drain them.

Stage 9 - ⌛ 30 min.

Lay them on a baking sheet, then put in the oven at 130°C or 266°F for about 30 minutes.

The goal is to dry the peel to make it crunchy, not to cook it any further.

Stage 10 - ⌛ 2 min.

At the end of 30 minutes, allow to cool, then tip the peel onto your work surface. At this point you can remove any excess sugar.

Stage 11 - ⌛ 5 min.

Then crush with a rolling pin, more or less finely according to taste.

Stage 12

You should obtain crumbs, still with a few small pieces, not too fine.

Stage 13

Keep in an airtight jar.

Remarks

This powder is used on desserts to which you want to give a "lift" (the tang of citrus) and add crunch, like Chaud-froid of grapefruit-pineapple, Fruits with sabayon, or Poelée de petits fruits au sabayon gratiné. But even on a simple ice-cream, the effect is striking.

As it can be prepared in advance and stored, you can prepare several varieties, and powder your desserts with several flavours.

I advise you to use organic fruit, because it's the peel which is used in this recipe, and that's first in line to pick up all the chemical treatments applied to the fruit...

Keeping: Several months in a jar.

Source: From chef Michel Bras, via famous teacher Hervé This (only great people...).

Nutritional information

	Proteins (gr)	Carbohydrates (gr)	Fats (gr)	Energy value (in k-calories)	Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe	2 RDI=1 %	130 RDI=10 %	0	520 RDI=30 %	2,170 RDI: 30 %
Per 100 g	0	30 RDI=3 %	0	110 RDI=6 %	480 RDI: 6 %