Fruit Intelligence: Winter Citrus

By Michael Laiskonis, Culinary Director, Les vergers Boiron

Sponsored by

While lemon, lime, and orange provide evergreen, year-round flavor and acidity, the winter season for specialty citrus fruits offers a much-needed dose of bright, sunny complexity to our seasonal creations.

Not long ago, I was treated to an exhilarating crash course in citrus, courtesy of the Givaudan Citrus Collection at the University of California-Riverside. With one of the most extensive and diverse citrus collections in the world, this research-based farm maintains some 4500 trees of nearly 1000 distinct cultivars. Apart from tasting dozens of unique fruits straight from the tree, a key learning that I took away was that the multitude of commercial citrus varieties we know and love can all be traced back to just three core ancestral species: mandarin, pomelo and citron.

The range of specialty citrus fruit purees produced by Les vergers Boiron offers a selection that perfectly embodies the diversity of category in flavor, aroma, color and origin. The journey into citrus must begin with a key variety among its French sourced fruits. Clementine, boasting the designation of PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), is a sub-variety of mandarin. Providing a higher intensity of ‘orange’ flavor notes, bright acidity and natural sweetness (11° Brix) compared to conventional mandarin, these fruits are grown to strict standards on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Favorite flavor parings include blackberry, guava, pineapple, cream, vanilla, pistachio, coriander, verbena and botanical spirits. Served as an intermezzo or pre-dessert course, Clementine anchors a sweet and savory sorbet with roasted red pepper and accents of olive oil and smoky pimenton (see Pastry Arts Issue 22).

Crossing the globe to Southeast Asia, we find Kalamansi, rapidly rising to mainstream familiarity. Primarily associated with the sweet-and-sour cuisine of the Philippines, this tiny green citrus fruit grows throughout the region and is prized for its bracing acidity and floral aromatic profile. Boiron sources its Kalamansi from small producers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Unique processing exposes the pressed juice to contact with the fruit’s thin rind, releasing some of its zesty essential oils while minimizing excess bitterness. A hybrid of mandarin and kumquat, Kalamansi finds exceptional pairing affinity with another star of the citrus world, Blood Orange.

A detour to the Tokushima Prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku will find us at the home of Sudachi – a spicy descendent of yuzu. While the latter displays a tart and floral flavor, the former packs a unique peppery punch. Sudachi joins Kumquat (see Pastry Arts Issue 26) as the most recent flavor innovations released by Les vergers Boiron. If allowed to mature to full ripeness, this golf ball-sized fruit would turn orange, revealing a sweet aspect; the sharp spicy notes of the immature fruit are most valued, thus Boiron selects raw material harvested in the late summer and early months of autumn. Perhaps not yet a staple among citrus fruit fans, Sudachi is on the trajectory of its more famous relative, and its notoriety will certainly increase. Though Sudachi is deserving enough as a star actor on its own, tropical fruits in particular can benefit when Sudachi finds itself cast in a supporting role.

In search of a fragrant superstar of the citrus world, we find ourselves back to the Mediterranean basin at the tip of Italy’s ‘boot.’ Roughly 95% of the world’s Bergamot production is centered around the province of Reggio di Calabria, separated from Sicily by the narrow Strait of Messina. Bergamot is perhaps best known for the complex floral aroma it brings to Earl Grey tea. In France it is the namesake of the hard candy Bergamote de Nancy, and it is reputed to have been a part of the recipe for the original madeleine de Commercy. Most applications employ the essential oil of the fruit. When fresh Bergamot can be found in the United States at all, its season is extremely short. Access to Boiron’s puree allows chefs to employ this singular floral accent, acid counterpoint, and grapefruit-like bitterness year-round. A slight touch of bold Bergamot goes a long way toward complimenting a range of flavors, from other citrus, orchard and red fruits to fresh green herbs, warm spices and flowers.

I’ve harnessed flavor and functionality of these versatile citruses in two recipes – Corsican Clementine reworked into a beloved signature dish I created that made a splash at Le Bernardin in New York City, and a fresh take on classic pâte de fruit fusing Bergamot with Green Apple.

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For more recipe inspiration and technical information on Les vergers Boiron’s Green Apple purée, visit: https://www.les-vergers-boiron.com and follow along as we explore all our flavors, origins, and applications at @les_vergers_boiron_americas 

Green Apple-Bergamot Pate de Fruit

By Michael Laiskonis, Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

Yield: 50 pieces pâte de fruit

Green Apple-Bergamot Pate de Fruit

• 250 g Boiron Green Apple purée 
• 250 g Boiron Bergamot purée      
• 585 g granulated sugar, divided   
• 6 g yellow pectin
• 100 g glucose syrup
• 16 g citric acid solution    

1. Place the purées into a large, heavy saucepan and heat to 104°F (40°C).
2. Combine 60 g of the granulated sugar with the pectin.
3. Whisk the pectin mixture into the purées.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continually.
5. Add the remaining 525 g of sugar and the glucose in multiple additions while continuing to cook to a final temperature of 223°F (106°C).
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the citric acid solution.
7. Immediately pour into prepared frames or deposit into MICRO GEM5 silicone molds.
8. Allow to cool and set at room temperature.
9. To serve, toss the unmolded or cut candies in the Citric Sugar (below).

Citric Sugar

• 100 g granulated sugar     
• 4 g Louis François citric acid

1. Thoroughly combine the sugar and citric acid.
2. Store in a sealed container.

Vanilla-Clementine ‘Egg’

By Michael Laiskonis, Culinary Director, Boiron Americas

Yield: 12 individual servings

Milk Chocolate Pot de Creme

• 90 g heavy cream, 36% fat
• 90 g whole milk    
• 40 g egg yolks        
• 30 g granulated sugar       
• 45 g milk chocolate, chopped
• 12 eggshells with the tops removed

Total weight: 295 g

1. Preheat a convection oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
4. Remove the scalded cream mixture from the heat and temper it into the egg yolks.
5. Whisk in the milk chocolate.
6. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
7. Place the eggshells right-side-up in their carton and place the carton in a shallow pan.
8. Carefully divide the pot de crème evenly among the eggshells. The shells will be about half full.
9. Fill the hotel pan with hot water, just until the water reaches the bottom of the eggs and begins to saturate the egg carton.
10. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until the custard is set.
11. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Clementine Spheres

• 100 g Boiron PGI Corsican Clementine purée
• 5 g Boiron PGI Sicilian Lemon purée         
• 2.5 g calcium lactate         
• 15 g granulated sugar                     
• 0.4 g xanthan gum
• Alginate Bath, as needed
• Cold water, as needed
• Sugar Syrup, as needed

Total weight: 122g

1. Whisk together the purées, calcium, sugar and xanthan gum.
2. Deposit into the desired silicone sphere molds and freeze.
3. Once frozen, unmold and drop the spheres into a 0.7% Alginate Bath (below) warmed to 77°F (25°C).
4. Allow the spheres to set in the Alginate Bath for 3-4 minutes.
5. Transfer the spheres into a cold-water bath to rinse.
6. Store them in the Sugar Syrup (below).

Alginate Bath

• 500 g water, warm                                                                          
• 3.5 g sodium alginate        
• 1 g sodium citrate

Total weight: 504 g

1. Place the water in a variable-speed blender and, with the motor running, slowly incorporate the sodium alginate and sodium citrate.
2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
3. Allow to stand for at least one hour before using.
4. When not in use, store the bath under refrigeration.

Sugar Syrup

• 150 g water
• 100 g granulated sugar

Total weight: 250 g

1. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan.
2. Bring just to a boil over medium heat.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Vanilla Espuma

• 115 g heavy cream, 36% fat
• 115 g whole milk
• ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 40 g egg yolks        
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 1 sheet gelatin, hydrated

Total weight: 325g

1. In a small saucepan, gently warm the cream, milk and vanilla.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl.
3. Temper the hot cream into the egg yolks.
4. Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly thickened and reaches 185°F (85°C).
5. Remove from the heat, whisk in the gelatin and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
6. Chill in an ice bath.
7. Transfer to the refrigerator until well-chilled.
8. Pour the cooled custard into a whipped cream siphon and assemble according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
9. Reserve in the refrigerator until assembly.

Citrus Caramel

• 80 g granulated sugar       
• 10 g glucose syrup
• Water, as needed
• 15 g Boiron PGI Corsican Clementine purée
• 60 g heavy cream, 36% fat
• 10 g unsalted butter

Total weight: 175g

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, glucose and water.
2. Cover and cook to a medium amber color.
3. Meanwhile, heat the cream until warm.
4. Remove the caramel from the heat and deglaze with the purée, followed by the cream.
5. Bring back to a full boil to completely dissolve sugar.
6. Remove from the heat and emulsify the butter into the caramel.
7. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Oat Streusel

• 35 g granulated sugar       
• 10 g Boiron PGI Corsican Clementine purée
• 50 g unsalted butter, cold
• 3 g vanilla extract
• 1 g salt      
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 15 g rolled oats     

Total weight: 214g

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.
2. Spread the streusel in a thin layer on a lined sheet pan.  
3. Bake in a convection oven at 300°F (150°C) until lightly browned.
4. Cool and store in a sealed container.

Assembly

1. Place a filled eggshell in an egg cup and pipe some of the Citrus Caramel over the Milk Chocolate Pot De Crème.
2. Top the caramel with a small amount of the Oat Streusel.
3. Dispense the Vanilla Espuma on top of the Streusel.
4. Top with a Clementine Sphere.

(This article appeared in the Winter 30 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)