I have to admit that the pairing of grapefruit and cinnamon does not immediately make sense. At least, it didn't to me. There was something about the tartness of the grapefruit and the distinct spice of the cinnamon — I was dubious. But then I finally tried it, and hello! This is my favorite breakfast dish right now.
For a long time I was also dubious about the idea of hot grapefruit. It just sounded... odd. But again, I have been made to see the light.
This is such a simple way to add some warmth and freshness to your breakfast. You simply sprinkle a grapefruit half with cinnamon sugar, and broil it until the flesh of the sweet-tart grapefruit swells up, nearly bursting with the hot juice inside, and the sugar turns into a gentle crust.
The warmth brings out all the juiciness of the grapefruit, and the tart flavor. Every bite has that juicy taste, along with a bit of sweetness from the sugar.
I really love this dish; do you ever make it for breakfast, or for a quick snack?
This barely needs a recipe, of course, but for the sake of documenting just how I do mine, here's a quick rundown.
Broiled Grapefruit with Cinnamon Sugar
Serves two1 large ruby grapefruit
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
Heat the oven to broil. Cut the grapefruit in half across its equator. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut around the inside edge of the grapefruit half. Then make small, deep cuts next to each segment's membrane, to loosen the fruit from the membrane. (If you have serrated grapefruit spoons, this step is less necessary.)
Sprinkle each half with cinnamon sugar and put in an oven-safe dish, sugar-side up. Broil for 15 minutes, or until the top turns quite brown and caramelized. Let cool for 5 minutes and eat while warm.
Related: Try This! Sweet and Smoky Broiled Grapefruit
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Broiled grapefruit is awesome in general. My Mom made it with brown sugar and a *bit* of brandy. Heavenly. Never thought to try it with cinnamon...
What does "heat the oven to broil" mean? I've only ever come across this word, broil, in American stuff, but I always thought it was equivalent to what everyone calls grilling? I.e., cooking something under a gas salamander grill. It's a temperature setting too?
* equivalent to what everyone ELSE calls grilling
I am not much of a grapefruit fan but force myself to buy some because I feel they should. As such they languish in the fridge much longer than my other citrus fruits. I'll have to give this preparation a try-it sounds like a good way to get over my hesitation.
@RosieGreenie - Broiling in the US means what everyone else calls grilling. I had the opposite problem when I moved to England! Some broilers/grills can be adjusted (hi, med, low) or set to a temp, just like the grills around the rest of the world :)
My mom used to make this for my sister and I for breakfast during the winter time.
Another thing to add as well as the brown sugar is some butter. It doesn't need to be spread around, just a few little chucks (don't over do it) and then put the sugar on. It kind of caramelizes... Mmm, its so good.
We make this in the wintertime with, rather than cinn. and sugar, honey drizzled over the top before putting it under the broiler. I didn't care much for straight up grapefruit before my BF made this for me, but now I crave it prepared this way.
Wait I'm confused...in the US its this:
broiling = in the oven, on the top rack, the TOP heaters/gas comes on and its like a direct heat treatment (like a salamander).
grilling = usually outside, on a charcoal or other open flame. Food is placed directly on the "grills". You can also grill indoor with a pan that has the distinct raised pattern on a grill.
How are the two different in the rest of the world?
I'm with stickyheels and equally confused for the same reasoning...
MyAliya and stickyheels, what we call a broiler sounds like what you would call a salamander. I believe one usually broils at around 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yum! This looks really good! I've wanted to have a dish like this for a while now, but thought I needed a kitchen torch to get that flavor - I'll have to try out the broiler method instead.