Grapefruit Jelly
Ever since I came across grapefruit yogurt, I've become mildly obsessed with the grapefruit + dairy combo. So when I had the famed grapefruit jelly dessert at Sugiyama, and then another version at Ushiwakamaru (two restaurants in NYC), I was intrigued by this dessert and knew I had to try my hand at replicating it. It's very delicate, fresh and fruity, almost like a gelatin sorbet. And the version that I had at Sugiyama had a bit of cream or frothed milk dribbled on top. My attempt to recreate it is below. Enjoy! And if you know the origin of this dessert in Japanese cuisine, do comment below.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 red grapefruit, juiced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp agar agar (this is a vegan gelatin substitute used in Asia - you can also use gelatin)
- 2 tbsp cream, whipped
- dribble vanilla
- pinch sugar
Recipe Steps:
- Halve the grapefruit and squeeze the juice (and pulp, if you like) using a lemon juicer. Remove any seeds.
- Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil and add the honey. Stir until dissolved, then add the agar agar. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or so, stirring now and again until the liquid thickens.
- Remove from heat, then stir in the grapefruit juice/pulp.
- Pour your jelly into a container for solidifying -- I prefer to let the gelatin harden in a larger container, then scoop out the jelly into small glasses or dessert dishes. But if you want the gelatin molded in each cup/glass, then pour the jelly into individual containers. It shouldn't take too long for the jelly to harden, though I'd give it a few hours to fully harden and chill.
- When you're ready to serve, add a touch of vanilla and sugar to your cream, then whip until the cream thickens but before it forms "peaks." The idea is to dribble the soft cream on top.
Serving Size: 2-3
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
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