In the kitchen with the Phantom Chef: Citrus Salad with Vanilla-Ginger Syrup

I would love to be able to say that March brings with it the end of winter and the first stirrings of gorgeous spring produce. But here in Upstate New York, we have to wait just a bit longer. In an effort to add a much-needed punch of freshness to my late-winter menus, I turn to a variety of citrus fruit. Not only does citrus fruit offer beautiful color and bright flavor, it also offers a dose of Vitamin C to help ward off the last of the winter sniffles.

This recipe is relatively simple, but it will give you a chance to practice cutting citrus into supremes. To cut any citrus fruit into supremes, you’ll remove the skin, the white outside pith, the membranes between the segments, and the seeds. That bit of knife work will maximize the citrus flavor, minimize bitterness, and produce an attractive final dish.

Interested in improving your knife skills further? I’ll be offering a Knife Skill Fundamentals class on Friday, March 9 at 6pm. Register online at phantomchefcatering.com/classes.

Citrus Salad with Vanilla-Ginger Syrup

(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

-4 navel or Valencia oranges

-4 cara cara or blood oranges

-2 pink grapefruit

-10-12 fresh mint leaves

(For the syrup:)

-¼ cup sugar

-¼ cup water

-1 vanilla bean, split & scraped

-1” piece of ginger, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan bring water, sugar, vanilla, and ginger to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20-25 minutes. Strain out the ginger and vanilla and cool syrup completely. Syrup can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

3. Cut oranges and grapefruit into supremes and arrange them on a platter with a rim.

4. Remove the mint leaves from the stems and stack on top of one another. Roll them tightly and slice the leaves into thin ribbons. This is a cutting technique called a chiffonade.

5. Drizzle the syrup over the citrus supremes and garnish with mint.