Pomelo Fruit Platter Recipes

Steps:

• I like to begin the platter with a base of ripe, colorful, sliced melons and pineapple--for example, cantaloupe, honeydew, Galia, or Cavaillon melons, plus the new "golden" pineapples. Peel the outside of a whole melon, cut it in half through the stem end, and scoop out the seeds. Place the melon halves cut side down on a board, and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan each half-melon out slightly and arrange it on the platter. Next, cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, peel the outside, and use a sharp knife to remove the "eyes." Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise and remove the core by cutting a "V" down the center of each half. Again, place the pineapple halves, cut side down, on a board and slice them straight across into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Fan the slices out and arrange them next to the melon on the platter.
• Once the base is set, you can add any kind of fruit that's available. I like to have one thing that is taller than the rest, such as a large bunch of grapes or a decoratively cut papaya, to give the platter height. Then I add raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and fresh figs in casual but organized groups. The platter can look like a bowl of M&M's if there are too many colors scattered with no order. Visually, your eye needs to have a focal point and to be able to see each type of fruit. After all the fruit is arranged, I add flat green leaves around the outside of the fruit, to set off the colors. Use lemon and galax leaves from your florist, or fig leaves and grape leaves from your garden. Make sure they are pesticide-free and well washed.
• Any kind of fruit will work well on this platter. For special occasions, add persimmons, kiwi, passion fruit, Queen Anne cherries, fresh apricots, and mangos. Choose whatever is colorful and seasonal.

Steps:

• Peel the pomelos, separate the segments and cut up into 1 inch chunks.
• Place the chunks on a pretty serving platter. Scatter the raspberries on top, followed by the cashews.
• Slightly soften the honey by microwaving for about 10 seconds. (This helps make the honey not only easier to stir, but easier to pour.) Add the lime juice and blend well.
• Pour the honey mixture over the fruit and nuts. Garnish with the mint leaves (and lime zest if desired).
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Slice off the tops and bottoms of the pomelos. Discard tops and bottoms.
• Using a peeler, skin two of the pomelos. Peel off, with the yellow skin, as little of the white pith as possible. You should get several long strips.
• Julienne the skin strips. Reserve.
• Take all three pomelos and slice away as much of the soft white pith as possible from the inner flesh. You will have three balls of flesh the size grapefruits, more or less. Discard the sliced-off pith.
• Slice each flesh-ball in half down its central axis.
• The collection of fibrous tissue along the central axis of any citrus fruit is called the "rag." Cut out the rag, and any seeds lodged therein, from each of the pomelo halves. Reserve these rags and any seeds. Pomelos usually have small, rather soft seeds.
• Grind the resulting chunks of flesh in a food processor. To make sure the pulp is finely ground, strain off the juice and grind again.
• Combine ground flesh, juice and julienned skin in a soup pot. Add 3 cups water.
• Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, tie the pomelo rags into a sachet using cheesecloth and twine.
• Put the sachet into the pot with the pomelos just after you turn off the heat. Make sure the sachet is saturated with the hot liquid.
• Refrigerate this mixture overnight.
• Next day, squeeze out the sachet into the pomelo mix. Squeeze this out very well as it will provide a lot of pectin. Discard sachet.
• Put the pomelo mix into your preserving pan.
• Add 6 cups sugar.
• Stirring, bring the marmalade to a full rolling boil over high heat.
• Cook, uncovered, stirring, and over high heat, until satisfactory gel has been achieved.
• The marmalade can be canned. Using appropriate water-bath canning procedures, 6-8 oz jars should be processed for 10 minutes.