What do you think of grapefruit at the dinner table?

By Jennifer DashSpecial to CSMS MagazineNot very many people would think that grapefruit could play well on the dinner table. However, one needs to take a closer look. At the dinner table, grapefruit is of great significance. That’s right. The sweet and tangy ruby red brings together earth (mushrooms) and sea (halibut) in this dish, with the flavors rounded out by the cream in the sauce, the sharpness of the red onion, and the herbaceous parsley, which gives the dish a nice lift. Here how it works:            Serves 4            1 ½ large pink grapefruits            ¾ cup torn parsley            ¼ medium red onion, very thinly sliced            1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil            Salt            Freshly ground black pepper            1 tablespoon cream            8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces            Dash of hot sauce            ½ cup canola oil            10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced (2 cups)            4 skinless halibut fillets, 6 ounces eachPartition the grapefruitPeel it by hand, then run a sharp, flexible knife blade over the surface of the fruit to remove as much pith as possible without cutting into the flesh. Separate the grapefruit into sections, then carefully remove the skin from 12 sections with the aid of a paring knife. Finally, remove and discard the seeds. Set the peeled sections aside. Squeeze ½ cup of juice from the remaining sections, catching any seeds in your hands and discarding them.    To make the salad, put the grapefruit sections, parsley, onion, and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and very gently toss. Set aside.    To make the sauce, pour the grapefruit juice into a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil until reduced to a glaze, approximately 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream and let reduce for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Whisk in a dash of hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper Cover and set aside.    Heat ¼ cup of the canola oil in a sauté pan over the medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to crisp, approximately 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside, covered, to keep warm.    Heat the remaining ¼ cup canola oil in a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and add them, skinned side up to the pan. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and Cook for another 3 minutes. (To check for doneness, you can use a sharp, thin-bladed knife and apply slight pressure to peek between the fish’s flakes and confirm that flesh is opaque.)    Finally, spoon some mushrooms onto the center of each of a 4 dinner plates. Top with some salad, then a halibut fillet. Spoon the sauce around the mushrooms and serve.Also see Blueberry Meringue TartsHave you tried grilled turkey burgers with avocado mayonnaise?Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Avocado SalsaNote: Jennifer Dash is a nutritionist. She lives and works in Suburban Atlanta.