Avocado with Grapefruit Chutney and Smoked Salmon

Serves: Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 - red onion

½ oz - fresh ginger

2 - Florida grapefruit

1 tablespoon - honey

1 teaspoon - wine vinegar (red or white)

  - salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 - avocado

1 slice - smoked salmon (or smoked trout)

4 sprigs - chives

Directions

  1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Place in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Peel the ginger and grate the flesh. Add to the onion in the pan and apply gentle heat to sweat the onion and ginger (about 5-10 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, wash and remove the zest from one of the grapefruit. Peel both grapefruit and remove the segments, free of pith and membrane (see guide below). Place the segments in a pan along with the onion and ginger. Stir in the zest, the honey, wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cook gently for 20 minutes. stirring from time to time. The 'chutney' should then be allowed to cool completely before use.
  3. Peel an avocado and cut into small dice. Share the fruit around between four wide, low glasses (or verrine glassess if you have them). Add some chutney to each glass and finish with several thin strips of smoked salmon (or trout). Decorate with chopped chives and serve well chilled. This is a wonderful starter for a meal when entertaining.
  4. ------ USEFUL GUIDE FOR SEGMENTING A GRAPEFRUIT -------
    *** Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit just enough to expose the flesh.
    *** Begin slicing off the peel, cutting from the top to the bottom, following the curve of the fruit. The goal is to remove all of the pith without sacrificing too much of the edible flesh.
    *** Continue from top to bottom, all the way round the grapefruit. Go back and trim off any remaining bits of pith.
    *** To remove the first segment, cut from the outside to the center just inside the membrane on either side of a section. Remove the section to a bowl.
    *** Cut inside the membrane on the left side of the next segment. Leave the knife in the center of the fruit, roll it up to the right so the knife is pulling the segment from the membrane on the other side, lifting out the segment as you roll the knife up to the right.
    *** By pulling the segment off of the membrane on the right side, rather than cutting it, you'll remove all of the fruit's flesh with the segment intact and not leave some attached to the membrane. Less waste, more to eat!
    *** Repeat this step as you remove each segment. First cutting down the left side of the section and then rolling the knife up to pull the section away from the membrane on the right side of the segment.