Will you be watching the Oscars on Sunday? I don’t know if I’ll ever be around so many stars in one place, but I can bring them to my table from the end of summer until mid-winter. Star fruit, that
Will you be watching the Oscars on Sunday? I don’t know if I’ll ever be around so many stars in one place, but I can bring them to my table from the end of summer until mid-winter. Star fruit, that is.
Grown in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for hundreds of years, star fruit, also known as carambola, are also cultivated in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Whether you prefer them green, tart and tangy or a riper yellow and sweet, star fruit are always juicy and delicious, and you benefit from a good portion of vitamins A and C. You can eat the skin, too; just discard the seeds.
Choose firm fruit with an even color. If you don’t plan to eat the star fruit right away, wrap them tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to a week. They are great in salads, main dishes, and as a beautiful garnish. If you cut them crosswise, you’ll have a pile of stars, and here are some ways to dress them deliciously.
The envelope, please …
Chicken and carambola salad
Sweet and savory flavors in a delicious main dish salad. Makes five or six servings.
1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
2 cups water
3 whole cloves
1 pinch salt
1 small to medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 carambola (star fruit), sliced crosswise into stars
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, place chicken cubes, water, cloves, salt, onion and carrot; bring to a boil. Cook five to seven minutes, until chicken is poached. Drain and refrigerate. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and honey; add carambola and refrigerate, covered, for one hour. To serve, mix the fruit with lemon juice, salt, mayonnaise, chicken and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
citrus crusted shrimp with ginger, star fruit and rum
Here’s a light entree that looks as impressive as it tastes. Recipe from Allen Susser, chef/owner of Chef Allen’s in Aventura, Florida; makes four servings.
12 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 lemons and 2 limes, zest removed and juiced
1 jalapeno chili pepper, diced
1 tablespoon white peppercorns, crushed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon sliced ginger root
2 star fruit, sliced crosswise into stars
2 ounces rum
Peel shrimp. Butterfly them by cutting lengthwise so they open like a book and lie almost flat, but don’t cut all the way through; refrigerate. With a vegetable peeler, remove zest from the lemons and limes; chop fine. In a small bowl, combine citrus zest, jalapeno, and peppercorns; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine lemon and lime juice and brown sugar. Simmer until reduced to three tablespoons. Add salt and reserved zest mixture; cook one minute, then remove from heat. Add olive oil and let cool. Press citrus mixture onto both sides of the butterflied shrimp, then sear in olive oil for one minute. Add star fruit and ginger. Add rum, swirl it around in the pan for a few seconds, and serve immediately.
Star fruit and strawberries
This works as a simple, light dessert or as a starter for a special brunch. Makes enough for six servings.
2 star fruit, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch stars
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups strawberries, stems removed
3/4 cup Champagne or sparkling non-alcoholic grape juice
Sprinkle star fruit slices with sugar; set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut strawberries in half lengthwise. Divide star fruit and strawberries equally into six dessert dishes or wine glasses. Pour champagne or sparkling juice over fruit and serve immediately.
Tropical fruit sundaes with pineapple-rum sauce
This dessert works well with any tropical fruits you have on hand. Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine; makes four servings.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dark rum
Banana-strawberry frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream
Tropical fruit (mango, papaya, banana, pineapple, star fruit),
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, brown sugar, water, pineapple juice concentrate, and butter; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil gently until reduced to one cup (about 10 minutes) ; cool to lukewarm. Mix in rum. Cover and refrigerate up to two days until ready to use. When ready to use, reheat to lukewarm and whisk to blend. Scoop frozen yogurt or ice cream into balloon-shaped glasses or sundae dishes. Spoon lukewarm sauce over. Top with fruits and serve immediately.
