Tanghulu, skewers of candy-coated fresh fruit.Julie Van R/The Globe and Mail
Growing up, my sisters and I loved the candied apples and bananas at our local Peking restaurant, where they doused the fruit in molten caramel and shocked it in an ice water bath tableside, sprinkling the golden chunks with sesame seeds as they transferred them from water to plate. They were cool and warm, crunchy and soft, a play of pleasurable contrasts.
Tanghulu, skewers of fresh fruit similarly enrobed in a thin, glassy candy shell, are much-loved street treats of ancient Chinese origin that are becoming popular with home cooks. Tanghulu is traditionally made with hawthorn berries, but now more readily accessible berries and other juicy fruits are used. Much of the appeal is in the contrast of flavours and textures; sweet candy against tart, acidic fruit, and the way the satisfyingly shattery candy coating gives way to juicy berries, grapes, oranges and kiwi inside. The heat of the caramel just slightly cooks the exterior of the fruit, giving strawberries a subtly jammy, concentrated flavour and texture.
The caramel for tanghulu can be made in any quantity using approximately the same ratio – I add about a third of a cup of water per cup of sugar to help it dissolve, so you start with a more uniform mixture. The more caramel you make, the easier the skewers will be to dip, but you may wind up with leftovers; turn it into sauce by putting the caramel back on the heat and cooking it to a deeper amber colour, then add a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk – about half as much as the quantity of caramel. Add a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth, then cool and serve warm or store in the fridge.
Recipe: Tanghulu
The quantity of water you add doesn’t need to be precise; it will help dissolve the sugar and get the caramel started, and evaporate as the sugar caramelizes. A few drops of lemon juice help keep the mixture from crystallizing. Some people cool tanghulu quickly in an ice water bath immediately after dipping in caramel; you can do this, or let it set at room temperature on a parchment-lined sheet or plate.
Ingredients
- Fresh fruit, such as strawberries, large blueberries, mandarin orange segments, grapes or thickly sliced kiwi
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓-½ cup water
- A few drops of lemon juice
Wash and thoroughly dry the fruit, then thread as many as you like onto bamboo skewers, leaving enough skewer exposed on one end to use as a handle.
You can use a large heavy skillet or a saucepan to caramelize the sugar; a large skillet will give you more space to work with, but the caramel won’t be as deep. I find it easier to use a large saucepan I can tilt to pool the caramel on one side for dipping, but use whichever you’re most comfortable with.
Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan or skillet set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks uniform, and starts to bubble around the edges. Stop stirring (at one point a spoon could change the temperature and cause the mixture to crystallize) and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture reaches 300 F on a candy thermometer.
Turn off the heat and quickly, carefully dip the fruit into the caramel, tilting the pan to help it pool if necessary, turning the skewer to coat the fruit all over. Place on a parchment-lined sheet; it will set quickly. If the caramel hardens in the pan, liquefy it again by warming over medium heat. When you’re done, it’s easy to wash the pan by soaking it in warm water, which will dissolve the syrup – no scrubbing necessary.
Serve the tanghulu right away – as it sits, the juiciness of the fruit will soften the candy shell.
Serves as many as you like.
