Author Notes
This is as easy as it is elegant. I like to serve it in small, funky tea cups for effect at a dinner party, with candied zest on top and a Madeleine biscuit on the side. But it’s still quite delicious served plain in larger quantities in a breakfast bowl. —cheese1227
Ingredients
- For the broth (which yield about 6 -7 cups)
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12 cardamom pods, toasted and broken open
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1 whole vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
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The zest of one unwaxed lemon, taken off in long swaths
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The juice of that lemon
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The zest of one large orange, taken off in long swaths
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The juice of that orange
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1 cup of powdered sugar
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9 cups of water
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1 cup of 1/8-inch pearl tapioca (the pink ones if you can find them!).
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1/4 cup honey
- For the caramelized fruit
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2 Tablespoons white sugar
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1 teaspoon of cardamom powder, slightly toasted
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One pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented, the large segments cut in half
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Two blood oranges, peeled and segmented
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One small can of mandarin oranges in juice, drained
Directions
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For the broth, places cardamom pods, vanilla bean, zests, juices, sugar, honey and water in a large pot and simmer them together for about an hour. Strain the broth into a large bowl.
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Put three cups of broth over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls in a slow, steady stream while stirring. Wait about a minute until the pearls float to the top of the broth and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then turn off the heat and let the pearls soak for another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft.
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Once they are soft, rinse them well. Place the rinsed tapioca pearls in the 3 cups of reserved broth.
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Preheat your broiler to high.
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Mix the sugar and toasted cardamom together in a small bowl.
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Spread the citrus segments out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the sugar and cardamom mixture over the fruit. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and keep it there for 2-3 minutes, watching them carefully as they caramelize but don’t burn.
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To serve, fill your cup or bowl half way with the bouillon and tapioca mixture. Add a selection of the caramelized citrus fruit to the cup or bowl. Garnish and serve.
I am an excellent eater (I have been all my life). I’m a pretty good cook (Ask my kids!). And my passable writing improves with alcohol (whether it's the writer or the reader that needs to drink varies by sentence.). I just published my first cookbook, Green Plate Special, which focuses on delicious recipes that help every day cooks eat more sustainably.
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