Golden Globes

Oro Blanco grapefruit shines on the plate--and in the glass

While the rest of the country enjoys rutabaga and other hearty winter produce, our farmers' markets are overflowing with gorgeous citrus. This time of year--at least until March--one darling of local chefs is the Oro Blanco grapefruit.

Developed at the University of California in Riverside, the Oro Blanco is a hybrid of pommelo and white grapefruit. It's almost seedless with very juicy flesh that's not as bitter as ordinary grapefruit.

The easy-to-peel rind is thicker than that of a typical grapefruit, too, and is great candied and used in desserts, says Café Pierre chef Remi Lauvand.

The flesh also has a good balance of sweetness and acidity, which makes it especially good for seafood, says Lauvand. He serves shaved fennel, watercress and Oro Blanco with grilled local sardines or fresh Dungeness crab (click here to download the recipe).

At Sushi Roku in West Hollywood, snapper sashimi comes topped with and caviar and slightly caramelized grapefruit. Suzanne Tracht mixes Oro Blanco, avocado and chilled poached lobster at Jar.

For cocktails, the Oro Blanco makes a perfect Greyhound (vodka and grapefruit juice) on its own, but gussied up with blood orange vodka and Okinawa black sugar--the way Sona does it--it's sunshine in a glass (click here to download the recipe).

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