Zest for life

A burst of citrus is all thatrsquos needed to lift your mood For centuries chefs and perfumers have been utilising the fresh and intense fragrance to come up with diverse food profiles and perfumes In the culinary world besides popular choices like orange and lemon yoursquoll find emerging flavours on gourmet store shelves such as yuzu meyer lemon and satsuma These lend a zesty peely juicy and pithy note to a dish and instantly uplift the flavour They are also a precious resource of phytochemicals like Vitamin C Vitamin B potassium and phosphorousA recent report by Kerry Group plc a public food company headquartered in Ireland states that while citrus has always been a popular flavour the pandemic has given it a boost given its ability to help build immunity The report also states that blood oranges and grapefruit are poised to become more mainstream due to the interest in wellness and it is little wonder why we are seeing their availability in stores nowFreny FernandesDepending on the acidity of the particular citrus fruit the possibilities for pairings are endless Freny Fernandes founder and chef at Bandrarsquos Moner Bistro and Dessert Bar says ldquoOranges and lemons are known to pair well with fish chicken or duck In pastries citrus fruits go well with chocolate meringue and vanilla Fruits like kaffir lime and limes and lemons that are slightly floral pair well with mango apple and berries Finger lime is another great citrus that adds a pop of acidity to any dish and looks like caviar Candied citrus peels offer a hint of bitterness and sourness to any dishrdquo Juliano Rodrigues chef and general manager Out of The Blue believes orange with feta makes for a robust rocket salad ldquoAnother great combo is that of lemon caper butter sauce with grilled fish and slow roast chicken stuffed with pickled lemon and chickpeasrdquoCitrus fruits last longer if stored in water in a refrigerator say experts When picking citrus fruits Rodrigues suggests you look for blemish and wrinklefree rinds something that has a fine texture as compared to a dimpled one ldquoAlso the heavier the fruit the more juicer it tends to be Choose the ones with a strong sweet smellrdquo he says According to chef Sameer Khot when planning your food pairings focus on smell taste and touch and that will help you for best results Touch includes texture and temperature of the dish you plan to serveHe also adds that while using any form of strong citrus ensure you use a little bit at a time to avoid making the dish overwhelmingly ldquocitrusyrdquo ldquoItrsquos important to balance the flavours and still taste the citrus without it being too sourrdquo Citrus especially lemon plays important role in several cuisines across India in toning down the spice level in dishes Rodrigues tells us ldquoCitrus is also ideal for marination of meats as itrsquos a great tenderiser Lime or lemon are key ingredients in emulsified sauce like mayonnaise and hollandaise It also acts as a preservative in jam jellies pickles and salad dressingsrdquoIn the kitchen of Grand Hyatt Santa Cruz East besides lemons and oranges chefs regularly use pomelo and tangerine to make panna cotta and quiche From the sweet pomelo and basil panna cotta and tangerine creme brucircleacutee to savoury prawns pomelo quiche with parmesan and roasted chicken pie with tangerine the options are plenty Yuzu kumquat and Italian limemdashwhen in season mdashare a preferred choice as well According to Khot Yuzu from Japan has beautiful flower blossom notes that provide greater complexity to a dish ldquoIt makes for an interesting substitute for orange blossom water and it pairs splendidly with black sesamerdquo His favourite is the yuzu and black sesame tart Kumquat with its orange acidic pulp and a skin full of fibre is ideal for pairing with chocolate vanilla cranberry mint and for making sorbet ice cream jello and creme brucircleacutee he adds The Italian lime with its slight bitter taste also complements guava jackfruit basil and lycheeKhot says you should save the zest dry the peels and dehydrate sliced citrus to add to compotesmdashfor that perfect citrusy tang ldquoFrom experience I can tell you not to use citrus with bare hands as it can damage your skin Also never add direct citrus to any dairy products as it will get curdled The key is minimummdashdo not overdo the citrus flavour in any food It will leave a bitter tasterdquoTangerine Creme Brule by Chef Sameer KhotIngredients2 12 cups heavy cream6 medium tangerines finely grated zest34 cup brown sugar3 eggs5 egg yolks12 cup tangerine juice1 tsp vanilla extractSaltMethodPreheat oven Place ramekins in a tall ovenproof dish Add hot water to about threequarters up sides of ramekins In a saucepan combine cream and tangerine zest and warm over medium heat stirring occasionally In a medium bowl lightly whisk together eggs and egg yolks Add in 12 cup brown sugar and tangerine juice Pour egg mixture into cream stirring constantly Add 12 teaspoon salt and vanilla extract Strain custard through a finemesh sieve Divide custard evenly among ramekins about threequarters full Bake until they are just set Remove from water bath and allow to cool Refrigerate covered Sprinkle brown sugar on top and pass a kitchen torch until sugar caramelisesCitrus salad by Chef FrenyIngredients100 gm romaine lettuce 50 gm iceberg lettuce12 pomelo cut into small bitesized pieces1 grapefruit cut into small bitesized pieces50 gm fetaOne pinch sumacIngredients for dressing2 tbsp grapefruit juiceZest of one kaffir lime1 tsp dijon mustard1 tbsp honey14th cup olive oilSalt to tasteMethodMix both the lettuce together and put it on a plate Add the cut citrus fruits on top Top it up with crumbled feta Sprinkle the sumac Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until homogenous and drizzle on the salad