CARAMBOLA ( STAR FRUIT, CHATURAPPULI OR VAIRAPPULI)

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARAMBOLA

• Star fruit may lower cholesterol levels.
• A decoction of leaves and roots can help cure headaches, ringworm and chicken pox.
• The fruit is known to cure hangovers and prickly heat.
• The fruit has also been used to treat sore eyes.

COOKING TIPS

• Sweet variety carambola are eaten fresh or miked with other fruits in salads. Fresh juice can also be processed into juice.
  
• Sour type fruits are favored in cooking as they give unique tart flavour to poultry, meat and seafood dishes.
• Fresh fruits can be added in stews, curries and stir fries with chicken, fish and seafood.
• The fruit can be used to make sauce, pickle, chutney, tarts and jam.

RECIPE

Seared Scallops With Carambola Sauce, Parsnip And Succotash

Servings:6

Ingredients

For the scallops

18 large scallops  rinsed and patted dry

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Parsnip purée

3 parsnips, peeled and cut into thirds

2 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

1 lemon

1 tablespoon butter

1 bunch fresh thyme

Succotash

2 ears corn

1 medium sized carrot

1/2 cup fava beans

1/2 cup English peas

1/2 cup lima beans

1 bunch chives, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon olive oil

Carambola sauce

3 carambola (starfruit)

1 bottle white wine

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved and seeded

1 cup butter

1 lime

Directions: 

For the scallops:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.Heat up cast iron pan until nearly smoking hot, add the oil and gently put the scallops in the pan.When golden brown, turn the scallops over and finish cooking in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and reserve until time to plate.

For the parsnip purée:

Put parsnips in a pot, cover with the water and add the thyme and halved lemon. Cook until tender, then drain. Transfer parsnips into a blender, add butter and cream and season with salt. Purée until very smooth and pass through a chinois.

Succotash:

Cut the corn off the cob. Peel and thinly slice the carrots. In a pot of boiling water, separately blanch the fava beans, English peas and lima beans until they are tender. Remove the outer layer of the fava and lima beans. 

Heat up a sauté pan, add the oil, corn and carrots. Cook for about 2 minutes then add the beans and peas. 

Toss and finish seasoning with the chives, salt and pepper.

Carambola sauce: 

Slice the carambola thinly so they look like a star.Put them in a pot with the vanilla beans, sugar and wine.

Cook them down on low heat for about 3 hours or until the are nice and tender and wine has reduced by one-third.

When ready to serve, add the butter slowly while whisking it.

Finish with a squeeze of lime and salt.