Yuzu
The pitch The darling of chefs, yuzu, rounder and darker than a lime, was born in China several millennia ago. Harvested green in September or yellow in November, it is traditionally used as a condiment. Its juice is used in the composition of many sauces, and it can be zested on fish and shellfish. It adapts to sweet and savory recipes as a replacement for lemon.
How to enhance it? Stuffed. Cut two yuzus in half and squeeze the juice. Remove the pulp, mix it, reserve the hollowed out fruit. Mix the pulp with four fillets of sea bream cut into small pieces and 200 g of shiitake mushrooms browned in oil. Fill the yuzus halves with the preparation, add salt and pepper, and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C.
Bergamot
The pitch It’s the marriage of the lemon tree and the bitter orange tree! The juicy and bitter pulp of this yellow citrus fruit, native to Calabria, is used in perfumery for its essential oils. In pastries, its powerful zest perfumes cakes and madeleines… And its juice awakens the iodized flavor of a fish carpaccio or salmon glazed with molasses and pomegranate seeds.
How to enhance it? In syrup. Cook 400 g of white sugar in 600 ml of water over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the juice of two bergamots and 30 g of zest, 15 g of crushed juniper berries. Leave to infuse for 3 hours, filter and store in the fridge. Pour the syrup and a zest of bergamot into a glass filled with ice cubes with Earl Gray tea (with bergamot).
Corsican clementine
The pitch The ultimate winter citrus fruit, clementine is popular for its acid/sweet balance and its absence of seeds. It is delicious in salads, in ice cream or in granita, and you can use its juice to deglaze a duck breast or in a vinaigrette.
How to enhance it? In cake. We’re inspired by Trish Deseine’s flourless recipe. For 2 hours, poach three clementines with their skins in simmering water, let cool, mix. Add six eggs, 1 tbsp. teaspoon of orange blossom water, 1 tbsp. teaspoon of yeast, 250 g of sugar and 250 g of almond powder. Pour into a mold. Bake for 1 hour at 190°C, let cool. Mix the juice of one lemon with five pieces of sugar. Spread with a spoon.
Combava
The pitch This Indonesian citrus fruit is known for its very fragrant zest and its lumpy green skin full of essential oils. It adds a touch of exoticism to our mousses, desserts and tarts… It also works wonders with rice. Coconut milk is its best ally.
How to enhance it? Dry its leaves then store them in an airtight jar or freeze them. To release their scent, infuse them in the rice cooking water.
