Frozen grapefruit and orange carpaccio with warm almond cake. Photo by © Liz Steger 2006.

Grapefruit Carpaccio
supremes from 3 mandarin oranges
supremes from 3 blood oranges
supremes from 5 grapefruits
300 grams of juices from the above
40 grams honey
1 banana, ripe and mashed
2 whole star anise
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
2 gelatin sheets, bloomed and strained
zest from 2 grapefruits, blanched

Simmer 75% of the citrus juices with the honey, banana, star anise, and vanilla bean seeds for 7 minutes. Strain and add gelatin. Briefly blanch the zest in boiling water and add to the mixture with the remaining 25% of the juice. Chill over an ice bath until very cold. Layer into sealed plastic molds, alternating citrus segments and juice. Freeze. Thinly slice and reserve in the freezer until needed.

Almond Cake
150 grams almond paste
90 grams egg yolks
200 grams heavy cream
150 grams egg whites
cream of tartar
75 grams sugar

Preheat oven to 250° F. Slightly warm the almond paste in the microwave. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the almond paste with the egg yolks, a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions, until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Add the cream slowly and mix until homogenous. Separately, whip the whites with a small amount of cream of tartar to soft to medium peaks, adding the sugar in three stages. Fold a small amount of the meringue into the almond mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the rest until evenly blended. Pipe batter into buttered and sugared tart molds 3/4 of the way full. Bake on a Silpat-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, then rotate tray. Bake for another 3 minutes, then open oven door. Allow the tray to sit in the oven with the door open for one more minute before unmolding. Reserve until needed.

To Serve

micro lemon bergamot greens

Place a slice of the carpaccio on the plate and allow it to temper. Serve with lightly warmed almond cake and garnish with micro lemon bergamot.