You asked for it

By ANNE LONG

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 24, 2001

Take advantage of abundant citrus

This is the time of year to make use of our wonderful citrus fruit. Trees start bearing and bearing and bearing.

Susan Holl sends recipes for Cantonese sweet and sour walnuts and for Ceylonese sweet and sour chicken curry, both making use of kumquats. Susan found both on the Internet and hopes you will enjoy them.

Nancy Eggert found this recipe for salmon fillets with pink grapefruit beurre blanc in Seasonal Celebration Across America, and Belva Green shares her nifty method of freezing grapefruit -- and tomatoes, by the way.

For: Judy Simons of Holiday.

From: Susan Holl of St. Petersburg.

Recipe: Cantonese sweet and sour walnuts from http://www.MasterCook.com.

Cantonese Sweet and Sour Walnuts

1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 slice fresh ginger

1 clove garlic

1 green pepper, cubed

1/4 cup pineapple, chopped, or lichee nuts or sliced kumquat

12 ears baby corn, husked

Deep-fried walnuts:

2 cups whole walnut halves, about 35, toasted

1/4 cup rice cream

1/4 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

7 tablespoons cold water

Oil for deep-frying

Sweet and sour sauce:

1 clove garlic, pressed

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons fresh tomato sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup water

Mix soy sauce, water, vinegar and cornstarch. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic to flavor oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove with slotted spoon and discard. Still over high heat, add pepper, onion, carrots, pineapple (or kumquats) and baby corn. Toss to keep from sticking for about 1 minute.Add deep-fried walnuts and sweet and sour sauce; toss to combine while cooking. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook another 30 minutes and serve.

To prepare deep-fried walnuts, sift together rice cream, flour and baking powder. Stir in cold water. Pour oil into a wok or deep saucepan to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 370 degrees.Coat toasted nuts with batter a few at a time. Carefully put coated nuts into hot oil, using fork or slotted spoon.Fry for 1 minute and turn over. Cook second side for 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

To prepare sweet and sour sauce, mix all ingredients in a 1-quart saucepan and heat over low heat. Reserve. Sauce may be prepared and refrigerated until needed. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Ceylonese sweet and sour chicken curry from http://www.MasterCook.com.

Ceylonese Sweet and Sour Chicken Curry

2 small frying chickens, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Madras-style curry powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

40 ounces pineapple chunks in juice; drain but reserve juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup distilled vinegar

Salt

2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips

2 small seedless oranges, cut into thin rings with skin on

1 lemon, cut into thin rings with skin on

1 cup canned lichees, drained

1 cup preserved kumquats, drained

1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Put the chicken backs, necks and giblets into a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil.Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the meat is falling off the bones. Strain and reserve the broth. If it is not very flavorful, give it a little help with powdered bouillon.

Melt the oil and butter together in a large, heavy skillet or casserole. Add the curry powder and stir until slightly singed. Add the next 8 ingredients and saute until the onions are soft but not browned. Add the chicken and brown well on all sides. Pour in the pineapple juice and reserved broth and simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender.

Add the sugar and vinegar and simmer for about 2 minutes. Taste. If you want a more distinct sweet and sour flavor, add more sugar and vinegar at this time. Also add more cayenne if you want it hotter. Add salt to taste. Add the pineapple chunks and all the remaining ingredients except cornstarch mixture; stir gently and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture, stir and simmer until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.

Serve hot with steamed rice and steamed chapatis or flour tortillas. Makes 6-8 servings.

For: Cindy Troutman of Clearwater.

From: Nancy Eggert of Dunedin.

Recipe: Salmon fillets with pink grapefruit beurre blanc from Seasonal Celebration Across America.

Salmon Fillets with Pink Grapefruit Beurre Blanc

Gastrique (grapefruit syrup):

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white wine

1/2 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice, or canned unsweetened grapefruit juice in a pinch

Sauce:

2 shallots, minced (2 tablespoons)

3/4 cup white wine (Nancy uses Rhine)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, softened

Salt to taste

Grill:

4 fresh salmon fillets

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups fresh spinach, wilted, warm

In small heavy saucepan, combine sugar and 1 tablespoon wine. Cook over high heat for about 3 minutes; do not stir. When light brown caramel stage is reached, slowly add grapefruit juice, stirring constantly. Cook about 5 minutes until reduced by half, stirring occasionally until syrup lightly coats spoon. Remove from heat; set aside.

In large skillet, combine shallots, 3/4 cup wine and vinegar; cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until 1 tablespoon liquid remains.

Add cream; cook about 5 minutes or until mixture thickly coats spoon. Strain mixture; return to skillet.Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Add butter gradually, stirring constantly. Add salt to taste. Stir in gastrique; keep warm but not hot.

Brush salmon fillets with melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on gas or charcoal grill; cook 10-12 minutes, turning once, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Carefully turn salmon over; peel skin from bottom of each fillet.

To serve, place wilted spinach on 4 individual dinner plates. Place salmon fillets over spinach; spoon sauce over salmon. Makes 4 servings.

Belva Green of Tarpon Springs writes that, while shepherding a heavily bearing grapefruit tree for 10 years, she discovered that the fruit could be frozen. "Clean the skin of the grapefruit, fresh from the tree, and put it in your freezer, preferably in a plastic bag," she says. Belva has fruit that is as old as 2 years and is still fresh when defrosted. A bonus is that the fruit is easier to peel when it is defrosted. Eat them plain or use in salads or desserts.

Belva says she learned the process when a friend showed her how to freeze excess tomatoes in the same fashion. The tomatoes peel more easily also.

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