Winter’s Forbidden Fruits
Citrus provides more than just a shot of vitamin C in the winter.
By December, silhouettes of Christmas trees loom visibly in living room windows. The crisp scent of fresh pine needles wafts throughout the neighborhood, ideally under a blanket of white snow.
That is, of course, if you are from New York. Louisiana celebrates a very different Christmas. They have their Christmas trees, but the branches sport leaves instead of needles, and juicy oranges dangle in lieu of glittery ornaments.
Pine trees only arrived in this southern state in the 20th century. Louisianians housed dwarf citrus plants, which then conveniently produced their own ornaments. But why fruit trees in the middle of the winter?
Unlike most produce, many citrus fruits ripen in the heart of winter. In light of our seasonal delicacy, I’ve provided two delightful citrus tart recipes: a comprehensive one for the advanced baker and another for students with limited time.
The trick to divining fruit desserts lies in the combination of ingredients. As the saying goes, “what grows together goes together,” and all winter citrus fruits complement each other. Bakers opt for the sweeter Meyer lemon or key lime, and while the acidic pink lemon may be a bit too tart, its pink flesh and green-striped, yellow rind make for beautiful garnish. Sweeter citrus include California’s famous winter-ripening Washington navel and the more foreign, rich, sweet flavor of the Venezuelan Cara Cara navel orange.
But true exotic taste lies in the fragrant berry-like flavor of our West Coast’s purple-fleshed blood orange. Sweeter yet is the Dancy tangerine that waltzes into food marts before the Algerian clementine comes rolling in. “The uglier, the tastier” is a motto applicable to the obscure Mineola Tangelo and Ugli Fruit, created only via grafting.
From the gargantuan pomelo to the minute kumquat, winter citrus are found everywhere in the city. Look for everyday oranges and grapefruits in local supermarkets. The more exotic fruits tempt shoppers at The Garden of Eden or at gourmet specialty shops Dean & Deluca and Balducci’s. Key citrus—small and heavy with a thin and shiny rind perfect for zesting—should be stored in the refrigerator to preserve its natural essence. As for curds, wander to the pantry aisle to invest in premium English jars at $11.50/11-ounces from Thursday Cottage or Wilkin & Sons’ Tiptree line.
Now that you’ve been deigned citrus scholar, justify your knowledge by transforming a favorite vitamin-C-packed fruit into the ultimate dessert.
Lemon-Lime Curd Tartlets
1 Box of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust, softened
1 11-oz. jar of Premium Lemon Curd
1 11-oz. jar of Premium Lime Curd
Equpiment: muffin tim
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Unroll each pie crust and cut out 4-inch discs. Fit each disc into the bottom of a muffin cup and bake on the middle rack for 3 minutes. Rotate the muffin tin and bake for a couple minutes more until a light golden brown. Remove pan from the oven and cool about 25 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
Mix lemon and lime curds. Microwave the mixture in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each time, until slightly runny. Fill each tartlet shell and return muffin tin to oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until just set, rotating muffin tin halfway. Cool completely before gently inverting tin to remove tartlets.
Citrus Tart
Serves 6
Pastry Shell:
1 1⁄4 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 large egg, separated
1 tablespoon ice-cold milk
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup ground almonds
1⁄4 cup powdered sugar
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
Filling:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
1 1⁄2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
1⁄2 cup fresh orange juice, preferably of Mineola Tangelo, blood, and Cara Cara navel oranges
1⁄2 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
Equipment: 9 1⁄2-inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom, pie weights or dried beans
Lightly beat the yolk with milk and set aside. In a food processor, grind the almonds and powdered sugar into a fine meal. Pulse in the flour and salt. Add the cold butter-cubes and pulse several times until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, and the butter is reduced to pea-sized lumps. Pulse in the yolk mixture until the dough gathers into a ball. If you do not have a food processor, cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork before incorporating the yolk mixture. Press the dough into a 6-inch disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Allow even moisture distribution and gluten relaxation by chilling for at least 1 hour.
Place a rack in the middle of a 350°F oven. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling it into an 11-inch circle between sheets of wax paper. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into the tart pan. Peel off the bottom sheet and fit the dough into the pan, trimming off excess edges. Save scraps to repair cracking during blind baking. Freeze the shell until firm—approximately 10 minutes—to keep it from shrinking during baking. Line the shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake for about 20 minutes until the edges are golden and the bottom is set. Remove the lining and weights and gently prick any bubbles with a toothpick to release air. Cover edges with foil and return the shell to the oven until the bottom is golden, 10-15 minutes more. Seal any cracks with leftover scraps and quickly brush the hot pastry with a thin layer of egg white. Cool and place on a baking sheet.
Keeping the oven on, use a fine microplaner to zest the winter citrus fruits. Roll the fruit on the kitchen counter with a little pressure before cutting the fruit to facilitate juicing. Whisk together all filling ingredients until well combined.
Fill the tart shell and transfer the baking sheet to the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set around the edges but trembles slightly in the center. Cover edges with foil if over-browning occurs. Remove the tart and cool on a rack for about 45 minutes. Cut equal slices onto a dull-finished plate—shiny pans reflect heat, resulting in soggy bottoms.
Though the zest itself provides a beautiful presentation, feel free to top each slice with a dollop of creme fraiche and candied peels or colorful supremed citrus slices with a sprig of mint. Also, long-stemmed glasses of fizzing Moscato d’Asti make a pairing to die for.