Mandarines Glacées

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small sharp paring knife
• •1½-inch (4 cm) plain round cutter, optional scoring guide
• •Small teaspoon or grapefruit spoon
• •Fine-mesh sieve and citrus press
• •6-cup muffin tin
• •Ice-cream machine or shallow metal freezing pan
• •Small pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the shells

   Wash the tangerines gently and dry them without bruising the leaves. Choose the six firmest fruits with unbroken skins, upright stalks, and at least one sound leaf. Set each fruit in its own cup of a muffin tin, with space beside it for the matching lid; this keeps the round shells upright and prevents a small cap from wandering onto the wrong fruit.

   Soft fruit is difficult to hollow cleanly, and waxed peel does not frost as prettily. Choose firm fruit with a naturally matte rind whenever you can.
2. 2

   Cut and hollow

   Score a neat round lid about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide around each stalk, using a plain cutter as a guide if you have one. Cut only through the peel, then angle the point of a small paring knife inward and lift away the roundel with its stalk and leaf intact. Ease a teaspoon between the segments and the white membrane, removing the flesh without piercing the rind; leave the white lining in place because it strengthens the shell. If a tiny split appears, stop pulling and free the remaining flesh with the knife. Ça se rattrape: once cold, the shell can stand in its muffin cup and the thick fruit ice will not leak through a small tear.

   The first shell teaches your hand. Work slowly around the curve, and the next five will come cleanly.
3. 3

   Extract the juice

   Press the removed segments gently through a fine sieve, then juice the two remaining tangerines. Measure 1½ cups (360 ml / 360 g), straining out seeds, loose membrane, and pulp. Do not grind the white pith against the sieve, because its bitterness has no place in this clean fruit ice. Chill the empty shells, their matching lids, and the strained juice while you make the syrup.

4. 4

   Make the syrup

   Combine the sugar and cold water in a small saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until every crystal dissolves, then let the clear syrup barely simmer for one minute. Take it off the heat and cool it completely over a bowl of ice water. The tangerine juice must meet cold syrup, not warm, or its fresh perfume flattens.

5. 5

   Balance the base

   Hold back 2 tablespoons each of the syrup and tangerine juice, then whisk the remainder together. Taste before freezing. It should be vivid and just slightly sweeter than you want to eat; if it is cloying, add the reserved juice by teaspoons, and if it is sharply thin, add the reserved syrup the same way. Cold mutes both sweetness and aroma, so this small excess at room temperature becomes balance at the table. Cover and chill for one hour.

6. 6

   Freeze the fruit ice

   Churn the cold base in an ice-cream machine until dense, smooth, and able to hold the ridges of a spoon, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Without a machine, pour it into a shallow metal pan and freeze until firm around the edges, then beat it vigorously with a fork every 30 minutes until the crystals become fine and the ice holds softly. If it escapes you and freezes into a solid sheet, leave it at room temperature for five minutes, break it into pieces, and beat or process it briefly until smooth. Do not let it melt completely.

7. 7

   Fill and cap

   Spoon the soft tangerine ice into the cold shells, pressing lightly so no hollow pocket remains. Mound the ice just above each opening and settle the matching stalked lid back into place. Return the fruits upright to the muffin tin and freeze until thoroughly firm, at least 1½ hours. If the ice becomes too soft while you work, put the bowl back in the freezer for ten minutes before filling the remaining shells.

8. 8

   Raise the frost

   About 20 minutes before serving, brush the rinds lightly with ice-cold water, leaving scattered droplets rather than a heavy coat. Freeze the fruits uncovered for 10 minutes, then repeat with the faintest second brushing if the frost looks sparse. If the water begins running into a clear sheet, blot it immediately and stipple the rind again with barely wet bristles. Set the frosted mandarines on a folded white napkin, as the original service directs, and carry them straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy the fruit with the finish in mind. Firm peels survive hollowing, while supple green leaves remain handsome after freezing. Bring home two more tangerines than you intend to serve so you can choose six sound shells and still have enough juice.
• •Keep the tangerine ice pure. Liqueur, zest, and lemon may be pleasant in another sorbet, but this preparation asks the fruit to taste entirely of itself.
• •The water goes on only after the filled fruit is frozen hard. Brush lightly, because distinct frozen droplets look like frost while a soaking produces a clear shell of ice.
• •The folded napkin is practical as well as classical: it steadies the round fruit and catches condensation. Give every guest a small spoon and let them lift the leafy cap themselves.

Advance Preparation

• •The syrup and strained juice can be prepared and chilled one day ahead. The hollow shells and lids may also be refrigerated overnight, each lid kept beside its shell in the muffin tin.
• •The fruits can be filled, capped, and frozen up to two days ahead. Once firm, wrap them individually so they do not collect freezer aromas, then unwrap and apply the water frost shortly before serving.
• •For the tray-freezing method, begin at least four hours before filling the shells so there is time to beat the ice repeatedly and refine its crystals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)