Go ahead -- cook with it

Hanging around on trees all about California: grapefruits -- heavy with juice, tartly sweet, beguilingly perfumed. Round and yellow as happy faces or suns, they seem to ripen just as the general populace sinks into its annual round of post-holiday dietary self-chastisement.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But we say run with it.

Look beyond the obvious salvo of half a grapefruit for breakfast attacked with a jagged spoon and you’ll find a marvelous fruit for peeling and eating out of hand. There’s nothing like it for inducing simultaneous feelings of gastronomic piety and delight at recapturing a long-lost pleasure. It’s sensual: the aroma of essential oils as they spurt daintily from the pores of the thick skin, the ripping sound of the tenacious segments being pulled apart, the juice dripping down. And it’s delicious.

But don’t stop there. Cook with grapefruit. Use its juice to flavor sauces. Section and scatter it. Bake with it. Candy its peel. Grapefruit is milder and sweeter than lemon, but it can be used in many of the same ways -- squeezed on grilled fish, made into a brightly flavored curd. And if you’re looking for gorgeous color, red grapefruit offers extra plate appeal.

The notion that red grapefruit is sweeter than white or yellow grapefruit is, however, a myth, according to citrus specialists. (The story grew out of a marketing campaign by Texas growers.) Red grapefruits get their color from lycopene, which has health benefits (it’s an antioxidant) but does not affect flavor.

Sweetness is determined, rather, by the length of time the fruit has been hanging on a tree. A grapefruit picked in December isn’t as sweet as one picked in February, so if you have a tree, just pick fruit as needed.

If not, ask at your farmers market about the different varieties available, all of which have their fans. California reds include the medium-pink Rio Reds from the Coachella Valley and the Star Ruby from the Central Valley (and Texas). Yellow Marsh is a familiar yellow variety and the Duncan, while not usually labeled as such in supermarkets, is a reliable white.

For those who don’t like the tartness of a true grapefruit, Oro Blanco -- the half-grapefruit, half-acidless pummelo -- is sweeter and can be used in salads.

Our salad of jicama strips, thinly sliced snow peas, fresh pea sprouts (available in Asian markets) and red grapefruit sections has an appealing crunch. Its delicately harmonious flavors are pulled together with a faintly sweet dressing of grapefruit juice, tarragon and mint.

The strikingly pink sauce of our baked halibut dish contrasts with the white flesh of the fish for an artful plate -- and it’s easy to make. Before baking, marinate the halibut in grapefruit juice with garlic and thyme. Sauce it with a reduction of grapefruit juice combined with blood orange juice, which deepens the color and softens the flavor. Then whisk in bits of cold butter for silkiness.

A rich crust is a perfect foil for the tangy grapefruit curd filling in our pretty tartlets. Both grapefruit juice and lemon juice are used in the curd to focus the flavor; grapefruit zest enlivens the crust. Garnish them with whipped cream and candied grapefruit peel.

For cooking, select heavy fruit, which indicates juiciness. (If you’re making a batch of candied peel, however, lighter fruit will indicate more peel.) Before juicing, roll a grapefruit under your hand on the countertop to help extract the most juice. Avoid lumpy fruit, which may be over-ripe.

And finally, for those whose resolute January superegos care about such things, here’s a reassuring thought: Grapefruit is low in calories (40 to 60 each), high in vitamins C and A, and an excellent source of fiber. It contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol.

So peel away.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Red grapefruit, jicama and pea sprout salad

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae. Sectioning the grapefruit to make the salad also yields one-fourth cup grapefruit juice for use when making the dressing. Fresh pea sprouts can be found in Asian markets.

Salad

1 large red or Oro Blanco grapefruit

1/2 pound jicama

1 cup fresh pea sprouts

2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, green part only

1. Cut both ends off the grapefruit. Cut away the peel and pith, holding the grapefruit over a bowl to collect the juice. Using the knife or your hands, section the fruit and remove the membranes. Cut each grapefruit section into 3 pieces. Place the fruit in a large bowl.

2. The collected juice should measure about one-fourth cup. Set the juice aside to use in the red grapefruit vinaigrette.

3. Peel the jicama. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, cut it into julienne strips and add the jicama strips to the bowl with the grapefruit. Add the pea sprouts, sliced snow peas and green onions and gently toss to combine.

4. To serve, drizzle the salad with red grapefruit vinaigrette.

Red grapefruit vinaigrette

1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3cup canola oil

1. Combine the grapefruit juice, honey, tarragon, mint, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Continue to whisk while slowly adding the oil.

2. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, a few tablespoons at a time, until lightly coated. Save the remaining dressing (makes two-thirds cup) for another use.

Each serving: 230 calories; 4 grams protein; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 69 mg. sodium.

*

Grapefruit curd tartlets

Total time: 2 hours, 30 minutes, plus 1 hour freezing and 3 hours refrigerating

Servings: 6 servings

Note: From Sarah Carter, Times Test Kitchen intern.

Crust

1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into half-inch pieces

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon finely chopped

red grapefruit zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed

grapefruit juice

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter and sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.

2. Add the egg yolk, zest and juice to the bowl and pulse until combined. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Flatten the dough to one-fourth-inch thickness and wrap in plastic. Freeze for at least 1 or up to 24 hours.

3. Remove the dough from the freezer and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature until it is pliable but still very cold. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough to a one-eighth-inch thickness. Lightly spray 6 (4-inch) tart pans with removable bottoms, and cut out 6 (5-inch) circles. Press the circles of dough into the pans and trim the dough to fit.

4. Line the tart shells with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crusts until the edges are pale gold, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and return the tart crusts to the oven. Bake until the crusts are golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Filling

4 large eggs

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon grated

grapefruit zest

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed

grapefruit juice

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons butter, cut into

1/2-inch pieces

Whipped cream (optional)

Candied grapefruit peel

(optional)

1. Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, zests and juices in a bowl and whisk to combine the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a double boiler and begin heating at a medium-low temperature. Do not let the mixture become too hot, or the eggs will start to scramble. Stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, cook the mixture until it thickens enough to mound on itself, about 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place the butter in a bowl. Strain the egg-grapefruit mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the same bowl. Stir to melt and incorporate the butter. Pour the filling into the cooled tart crusts. Refrigerate the tarts for at least 3 hours before serving.

3. At least 20 minutes before serving, bring the tarts out of the refrigerator. Garnish with whipped cream and candied grapefruit peel if desired.

Each serving: 706 calories; 10 grams protein; 89 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 36 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 427 mg. cholesterol; 53 mg. sodium.

*

Halibut with grapefruit and blood orange sauce

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2 to 3

1 pound halibut steaks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup fresh red grapefruit juice, divided

1/2teaspoon minced thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter,

divided

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1/2 cup blood orange juice

1 tablespoon chives,

cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Rinse the halibut steaks under running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Set the fish aside.

2. Combine the olive oil, one-half cup grapefruit juice, thyme and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture over the fish in a shallow glass dish. Cover and let the fish marinate 15 minutes.

3. Put the fish in a lightly buttered baking dish. Dot the top of the fish with 1 1/2 teaspoons butter. Bake in a 400-degree oven, basting once or twice with butter and pan juices, until the fish tests done, about 15 minutes.

4. While the fish is cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the butter in a small saucepan until melted. Stir in the minced shallot and sweat over low heat just until tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining one-half cup grapefruit juice and blood orange juice and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the juice is reduced to one-third cup, about 20 minutes. Whisk the remaining cold butter into the sauce bit by bit until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.

6. When the fish is done, remove it from the oven and place it on serving plates. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Spoon the grapefruit sauce over and garnish with a sprinkle of chives.

Each of 3 servings: 412 calories; 28 grams protein; 12 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 27 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 84 mg. cholesterol; 74 mg. sodium.