The Incredible, Sometimes Edible Star Fruit

I did not realize what I was getting myself into with this one. I might have been better off failing miserably at acquiring this week’s ingredient. It all makes perfect since now, no wonder that once they are in season these things come in through the store’s loading dock but never seem to make their way out the front door.

Obviously a tropical fruit, star fruits are grown in North America only in Florida, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The ones from Florida are primarily the ones found in stores and in my opinion fully responsible for giving this fruit a bad reputation. Florida should stick to oranges and retirement communities.

I should have given up and scrapped the idea, but the quest for the fruit turned into a serious determination to find something about star fruits worth writing about. Once I actually found one, and I do mean just one (from Puerto Rico), that would be considered edible I was impressed.

Known as the Carambola in most parts of the world, the star fruit originates from Sri Lanka and Malaysia. With their crop season lasting only from late summer to early winter, star fruits are classified into two categories- tart and sweet. The tart ones are identified by their narrowly formatted ribs and the sweet variety has fleshy, thicker ribs. I found my selected fruit to hold quite a unique flavor combination of part pineapple with the fullness of a plum and a hint of citrus, making it in its complexity a very well balanced fruit.

So, will I return for more? Will I make a trip to the store with the sole purpose of buying a star fruit? Probably not. Considering I had to buy 7 to find a descent one there is more likely chance that I would sincerely write about tofu. But truth be told I enjoyed my one star fruit. Perhaps one day a better selection will make their way to our store shelves, I honestly believe it has potential for growth in our ever expending appetite.

Just don’t tell Florida, they might up production!


Star Fruit Sangria

1 bottle White Wine (Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc)
2 cups Ginger Ale
2 Ripe Star Fruits
1/3 cup Sugar
Few Sprigs Basil

Great thing about this recipe is that not only is it light and refreshing for hot summer days but it gets better with time. Juice one star fruit, slice the other as you would for orange rounds. In a pitcher combine wine, sugar, basil and star fruit juice. Stir to dissolve sugar, add sliced star fruit and ginger ale. Finish off with ice.

Grilled Star Fruit with Balsamic Mascarpone

1 Ripe Star Fruit
½ cup Sugar
¾ cup Water
¼ cup Butter
3 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Mascarpone Cheese

In a small saucepan combine water and half the sugar. Chop half the star fruit into cubes and simmer in sugar water till tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor, puree and set aside.
In a stand mixer, or food processor bowl (given that you have cleaned it after using it for your star fruit puree!) combine the mascarpone and balsamic vinegar. Blend on high speed till completely incorporated.
Combine melted butter with remaining sugar. Slice the other half of star fruit into ¼ - ½ inch slices and place on the grill, basting them with the sugar butter mixture. Once you have grilled the star fruit on both sides, transfer to plate and serve with a healthy dollop of balsamic mascarpone, finish with a drizzle of the pureed star fruit.

Red Thai Chilies ~ Phrik Khii Nuu

This past week I had a huge crush on Red Thai Chilies.

I refused to settle for the dried pathetic looking vacuum sealed peppers found on some forgotten shelf somewhere between the Asian and Hispanic section.
I wanted fresh, vibrantly red chilies, stems still attached and smelling of a sweet water and dirt cocktail.

To be honest I really did not think it was going to happen. After about 5 days of searching it seemed like I would have to settle for green instead of the valuable red chili.
The color of these peppers is merely an indication of their ripeness. The green being the ones picked immaturely and the red being the ripest of all. Varying from green directly to red, for this strand of chili their heat is proportionate to the color, the pale green having almost no heat at all.

Their correct name is the Bird’s Eye Chili or Phrik Khii Nuu, literally translating to “mouse shit chili”. I can see why we settled for Thai Chili.

After striking out at every farmer’s market and fresh produce provider in town I decided to follow a friend’s tip. A local Thai restaurant in the area was pleased to help me in my search and surprised that I didn’t settle for the dried peppers.

I was greeted with smiles upon learning of my quest for the red peppers, almost as if to say “thank you for not being a dumbass and for knowing what’s good.”

So let it be a lesson that when looking for something considered ethnic or exotic, go straight to the experts. They’ll understand your frustration, and if approached correctly they’ll see it as a point of honor to lend a hand.

Recipes:

Vodka Chili Paste

½ lb Red Thai Chilies
2tbsp Rice Vinegar
3/4 c Good Vodka
1/4 c Fresh Peeled Garlic
Salt to taste

Rinse and remove stems from chilies. Place in a food processor along with the garlic and turn on medium speed. Add the rice vinegar and slowly add the vodka until you reach desired consistency (drink the rest, you’ll need it after you taste this.) Add salt to taste. Allow for the paste to marinate for at least a day. The Vodka makes the heat from the chili last twice as long, so use with caution.



Cinnamon Picked Chilies

1/2 lb Red Thai Chilies
2 c Rice Vinegar
2 tbsp Kosher Salt
½ tsp Peppercorn
2 sticks Cinnamon

Gently force stem less chilies into sterile jar. In non-reactive pot place rice vinegar, salt, peppercorns and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve salt. (I strongly recommend not sticking your nose in the pot, you’ll wish you hadn’t… Don’t make me say I told you so!)
Remove cinnamon sticks from liquid and place in the jar along side chilies. Cover the jar with the hot liquid (all may not fit), tighten lid and refrigerate for at least 7 days before using.

Red Chili Panna Cotta

1 Tbsp Unflavored Red Chili Paste or to taste
2 c Half and Half
1 c Heavy Cream
½ c Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin

Place handful of chilies in food processor and turn on medium speed. Add a few touches of water till you create a paste like substance and set aside. Dissolve gelatin into ¼ c half and half.
Scrape the vanilla bean into a pot along with the rest of ingredients and the chili paste. Stir mixture and taste for desired spiciness. Heat till sugar is dissolved, allow to cool. Add the gelatin mixture and incorporate well. Divide into serving dishes and refrigerate till firm.

Hunt2Table

June 8, 2009

Chefs have weird, almost fetish like ideals about food. There’s something beautiful about turning what is good and true into something nourishing for the mind and body.

I like to believe that I am part of a special relationship, a liaison between food and patron, as a priest between god and sinner. Each an old friend which I will soon chop, throw in a pot, cook the hell out of and feed it to you: the hungry subject.

But I’m not here to talk about the mysteries of this thing of ours we call chefdom. I do enough of that between the hours of dusk and dawn, sitting after work with alcohol induced kitchen pirates contemplating what it is that we do.

This is about what allows us to belong to our profession, the true star in the kitchen.

Every ingredient has an untold story. How did it get here? Where did it come from? These are not normally questions we ask ourselves as we enjoy the spoils of feast. Typical routine as follows: we want it in our belly and we want it now!

My complete obsession is to find the freshest possible ingredients I can without cheating. By cheating I mean using my advantages as a chef (wholesale purchasing, access to purveyors, and so on.) I want to put my self in the shoes of the average home cook and uncover where to find all that we enjoy, which in turn I hope will help inspire you to reach out of your comfort zone and further express your own skills in the kitchen.

Half the fun is going on the hunt, searching as far as I can to find the treasure, unspoiled and at its best. The other half is turning that into something delicious, without totally altering the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Each week I will be tracking down a new foodstuff and tell a bit about its life, along with avant-garde recipes inspired solely by that ingredient.

This is a solute to all that we call delicious.

This is a single chef’s tale of our foods journey from Hunt to Table!