Maple Broiled Grapefruit
I’m normally a grapefruit hater, but this recipe is powerful. Sugar and maple syrup are enough to cover a world of hurt, and the flaky salt just kicks the whole dish up to the next level.
When I was developing this recipe, I came across a bunch of broiled grapefruit recipes. All these recipes topped the grapefruit with either granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup. I tried all of these toppings by themselves, but I didn’t think any one was particularly great. The granulated sugar tasted a little too plain, while the brown sugar didn’t crisp up as nicely as I wanted, and the honey and maple just created a liquidy mess. So, in my rendition, I decided to combine granulated sugar and maple syrup into a paste. This way, the topping is ultra crispy and super flavorful.
The dish comes together in just about 5 minutes but it tastes like luxury. I imagine that a scoop of ice cream would be the ideal match for this dessert.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Ingredients
1 grapefruit
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Flaky salt
Steps
Preheat your broiler or grab a small kitchen torch. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and syrup and set aside. Set the grapefruit on a cutting board with the stem facing to the right or left, then cut the grapefruit vertically in half. Use a knife to loosen each section of the grapefruit from the rind and the pith. This will make it easier to eat later on. Place the grapefruit halves onto a rimmed pan. Spread the sugar and syrup mixture evenly onto the surface of the grapefruit.
If using a broiler, place the pan about 4 inches under the broiler and broil for about 4-6 minutes, or until tops are dark golden brown. Alternatively, you can use a kitchen torch. Hold the torch about 4 inches above the grapefruit, with the flame perpendicular to the surface of the grapefruit. Burn the grapefruit tops for about 60 seconds, moving the torch steadily to caramelize every part of the sugar mixture. The sugar should be fully melted and dark golden brown when finished. Sprinkle with flaky salt and dig in!
Sustainability Tips
Grapefruit: Only make this during citrus season (winter) and buy grapefruits that were grown as locally as possible to avoid excess emissions. If you live in the northern U.S., "as local as possible" might just mean within the country. If you live in the southern or western states, you should be able to grab some grapefruits from your backyard or from your neighborhood farmer. Either way, make sure your grapefruits are organic. This will keep nasty pesticides out of our land and water.
Syrup: Go for local syrup! This will decrease GHGs from travel and maybe even help you get to know your local syrup producers. Read all about it in my liquid sweeteners post!