Sambuca Fruit Salad

I made this a work one day for a special, I was hot out and I wanted to do something light. I served it with sliced roasted muscovy duck breast, but it is good as a salad or even a dessert. The idea was inspired by a recipe in Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook.

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
• 1  pink grapefruit, segmented, zest reserved
• 1  navel orange, segmented, zest reserved
• 1  meyer lemon, segmented, zest reserved
• 1  large lime, segmented, zest reserved
• 1  peach, cut into wedges 1/3 inch thick
• 1  mango, 1/2 inch dice
• 2  cups salt water (for blanching zests)
•  ice water, 1 container (for shocking zests)
• 1 1⁄2 cups  sambuca romana, divided
• 1  cup water
• 2  cups granulated sugar
• 1  stalk lemongrass, split lengthwise
• 4  kaffir lime leaves
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄2 cup watercress, picked and washed
• 2  tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped

Directions

1. Bring 1/2 cup of Sambucca to a boil, meanwhile place dried cranberries in a small bowl.
2. When sambucca boils long enough for the alcohol to evaporate pour it over the cranberries, wrap with plastic wrap and reserve for later, let sit for at least 1 hour.
3. In the same pot bring the remaining cup of sambucca to a boil and let all the alcohol evaporate.
4. At this point add the water, sugar, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, salt and white pepper.
5. Bring the syrup to a simmer over moderately low heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and place in a container with a tight fitting lid for an hour to steep.
7. While the syrup is steeping zest and segment all of the citrus.
8. To zest the fruits you can use a zester, or use a peeler on the skin then cut into thin strips about 0.062 inch to 0.125 inch.
9. Once the fruit is zested take the zest and place in a fine mesh strainer.
10. Place the strainer in the boiling salted water for 1 minute then to the ice bath for 1 minute, repeate this 5 times.
11. This removes the bitterness from the zest and makes it tender.
12. Next remove all the remaining skin and white pith from the citrus fruit.
13. Now working over a bowl, cut each segment away from the little dividing walls.
14. As you finish squeeze the juice out the remaining portion of the fruit.
15. Cut your peaches and dice you mango and toss with the citrus segments.
16. Now that the fruit is cut, strain the syrup onto the fruit, add the cranberries and the zests, toss well.
17. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but I prefer overnight.
18. Just prior to serving garnish with watercress and sprinkle with nuts.