Yesterday was a painfully cold day, with winds that rushed through every little gap in my clothing and chilled my core. I pulled my coat tight and cursed winter, shouting to my companion that I have had enough of it already. On the bright side, however, it was also a notably sunny day. Not a cloud in sight. I took advantage of the warm afternoon light to photograph these broiled grapefruit beauties while Cookie napped in front of the space heater.
Grapefruit, when broiled with a sprinkling of sugar, caramelizes and complements its inherent bittersweet flavors. Though this cooking method is as simple as can be, the broiled grapefruit would make quite an impression at brunch, served warm and radiantly pink. Don’t limit the preparation to special occasions, though; broiled grapefruit could brighten any bleary, wintery day. I turned mine into a more substantial meal in itself by adding a side of honey-sweetened goat yogurt and a handful of gingerbread granola (recipe forthcoming). I recommend it. Stay warm, friends!
Broiled Grapefruit with Honey Yogurt and Granola
Simply prepared grapefruits, broiled with a sprinkling of sugar, are a beautiful, light brunch option. Serve with honey-sweetened yogurt and a handful of granola for substance.
Broiled Grapefruits
For Serving
- Preheat the broiler to high or your oven to 525 degrees Fahrenheit with the top rack in the highest position (about 4 inches from the heat source).
- To make the bases of your grapefruit halves flat so they don’t wiggle around, slice off about ¼-inch of the peel on the base end and the stem end of each grapefruit. Slice each grapefruit in half, parallel to your initial cuts. If you won’t be serving these with grapefruit spoons, go ahead and loosen each grapefruit segment using a small, pointed serrated knife—cut between the fruit and the peel, then along each side of the segment to loosen it from the membrane, but leave the fruit in place.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Place the grapefruit halves, face up, on a 9 by 13-inch glass baker or rimmed baking sheet (do not use parchment paper—it will burn). Sprinkle each halve liberally with the sugar mixture, using about 1 tablespoon per halve.
- Broil for 3 to 6 minutes, until the sugar is glossy (you might still see a few granules), bubbling all over the top, and turning a darker shade. Let the grapefruits cool for at least a few minutes; serve warm or at room temperature with a big dollop of yogurt (swirl in honey if you’d like) and a handful of granola.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit and influenced by Joy the Baker. For a crackly, caramelized brûlée topping, use a culinary torch (see Bon Appetit for the method).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
