Pastry chef Deanie Fox of Ubuntu in Napa Valley adores the excellent local citrus. When she makes this parfait at the restaurant, she uses as many as 10 varieties, from yuzu to tangerine. This streamlined version is still sensational, combining puckery lime curd and minty orange-grapefruit salad with light, luxurious white-chocolate mousse. More Beautiful Desserts
How to Make It
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. In a small saucepan, cook the eggs, sugar, lime zest and juice over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain the lime curd into the bowl and whisk in the condensed milk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a saucepan, cook the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the cream over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture has the consistency of yogurt, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the white chocolate. Transfer to a medium bowl and set it in the ice water to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt until glossy, soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the white-chocolate mixture. In another medium bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of cream until firm. Fold the whipped cream into the white-chocolate mixture with the lemon juice. Cover the mousse with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, sugar, lemongrass and ginger to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the juice has reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Strain into a bowl and let cool. Whisk in the honey, lime juice, zest and mint.
Using a sharp knife, peel the citrus fruits, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a cutting board, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Add to the orange dressing and toss.
Spoon the lime curd into 6 glasses. Using a slotted spoon, divide the citrus salad among the glasses and top with the white-chocolate mousse. Serve right away.
