Venetian Caramelized Fruit Recipes

FRUTTA CARAMELLATA

Steps:

• Lightly brush a large sheet of foil with oil. Remove leaves from strawberries, leaving base of stems attached. Peel orange and separate into sections, discarding pith and membranes. Pat all fruit dry.
• Hold 1 strawberry, stem end down, and carefully insert a skewer into side of strawberry until secure (do not push skewer all the way through strawberry). Skewer remaining strawberries in same manner.
• Skewer 1 orange section crosswise through thickest part (do not push skewer all the way through section). Skewer remaining sections in same manner.
• In a dry 3-quart heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan (to ensure even coloring), until deep golden. Remove pan from heat. Working very quickly and carefully and tilting saucepan, dip 1 piece of fruit into caramel, turning fruit to coat evenly. Arrange fruit on foil and immediately twist skewer, removing it. Repeat procedure with remaining fruit in same manner, arranging in one layer on foil. Let caramelized fruit stand until coating is hardened, about 2 minutes. Carefully peel fruit from foil and transfer to a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan (fruit juices may drip), arranging in one layer. Cool fruit slightly, about 15 minutes. Fruit may be caramelized 1 1/2 hours ahead.

VENETIAN CARAMELIZED FRUIT

Steps:

• 1 Thread the fruit pieces alternately on each of eight 6-inch wood skewers. Set a wire cooling rack on top of a tray. 2 In a skillet large enough to fit the skewers into lengthwise, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. When the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and cook until the syrup starts to brown around the edges. Then gently swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup is an even golden brown, about 2 minutes more. 3 Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, quickly dip each skewer in the syrup, turning to coat the fruit lightly but thoroughly. Let the excess syrup drain back into the pan. Place the skewers on the rack to cool. (If the syrup in the pan hardens before all of the skewers have been dipped, reheat it gently.) Serve at room temperature within 2 hours. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.