Caramelized Fresh Fruit

　　These crackly-coated fruits bring back childhood memories of candied apples. I've given the Roman recipe here; in Venice, where they're coated with a thicker layer of caramel, they are called golosezzi veneziani.

　　Set aside about 1/2 hour for the caramelizing and finish the procedure no more than 1 1/2 hours before serving so that the fruit remains crisp.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　vegetable oil for brushing foil

　　12 small strawberries

　　1 mandarin orange such as clementine

　　about 24 wooden skewers

　　2 cups sugar

　　

Step 1

Lightly brush a large sheet of foil with oil. Remove leaves from strawberries, leaving base of stems attached. Peel orange and separate into sections, discarding pith and membranes. Pat all fruit dry.

　　

Step 2

Hold 1 strawberry, stem end down, and carefully insert a skewer into side of strawberry until secure (do not push skewer all the way through strawberry). Skewer remaining strawberries in same manner.

　　

Step 3

Skewer 1 orange section crosswise through thickest part (do not push skewer all the way through section). Skewer remaining sections in same manner.

　　

Step 4

In a dry 3-quart heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan (to ensure even coloring), until deep golden. Remove pan from heat. Working very quickly and carefully and tilting saucepan, dip 1 piece of fruit into caramel, turning fruit to coat evenly. Arrange fruit on foil and immediately twist skewer, removing it. Repeat procedure with remaining fruit in same manner, arranging in one layer on foil. Let caramelized fruit stand until coating is hardened, about 2 minutes. Carefully peel fruit from foil and transfer to a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan (fruit juices may drip), arranging in one layer. Cool fruit slightly, about 15 minutes. Fruit may be caramelized 1 1/2 hours ahead.