… my 17th book along the shelf has produced a very simple little bowl of sunshine from the most excellent Valentine Warner and his brilliant What To Eat Now… i love this book for its simplistic nature and theme of following what’s in season and the dishes have his marvellous flare for the eccentric alongside his witty prose and beautiful little sketches… I would highly recommend both books from this series…
… and it’s so funny to have chosen this for my Random Recipes dish as I, like i’m sure many of you, dread the unexpected so when I was confronted with this dish I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t more of a challenge… but I have to say that even though this really is something I would never have taken a second look at it tasted simply GLORIOUS… so thank you Val and Choclette!
Caramel Oranges
8 large oranges
150g caster sugar
water
– peel 4 of the oranges using a potato peel and then cut each peel into matchstick shapes
– place these sticks into a saucepan, cover with water and sprinkle with a tablespoon of the sugar.
– bring to a gentle simmer until soft, pour away the liquid and set aside the peel
– next, slice the bottom off all your oranges and sit them on your chopping board whilst you carefully peel them with a knife, from top to bottom, removing all the peel and pith
– slice them to a thickness of your liking and lay them haphazardly in a bowl, sprinkle them with the softened sticks of peel
– now place the sugar in a non-stick pan, just covered with water and heat gently for 15 minutes, during which time the sugar will begin to caramelise… you should notice it turning a dark brown after 10 minutes and at this stage you should watch it like a hawk and stir it gently as it thickens… once you’re happy with its colour simply pour it over the oranges in a thin stream
– it should settle and harden in places. you should let it rest for at least 30 mins before eating so it goes crunchy… divine!
… have you done your random recipe yet… you have until Friday to submit…
eat and of course, enjoy!
I think we all like a new and challenging recipe occasionally, but sometimes simplicity gives the best results. It's good to know that something like this works so well!
a friend of ours made something very similar sounding for a party last weekend (with sweet citrussy tortilla chips) delicious!!!
I make caramel oranges every Christmas, they are a real tradition in our house. Usually I do them whole with tangerines or clementines and add a big slug of Grand Marnier to the syrup…totally scrummy. Sometimes the simplest things are the best….
Ohh Dom I really like the sound of this book- hopefully my lovely local library might have a copy! And what a bright sunshine filled dessert to enjoy in this beautiful spell of weather we're having…
Funny how the simple things are sometimes the best. Will have to give this a go.
I did something similar to this with kumquats last year and I was delighted with the results. Candied citrus is a great topping for lots of desserts.
Oh geeez! Better get going on my RR post! Thanks for the reminder!
Your oranges look the perfect topper for a chocolate cake's fluffy icing … or a soft flan … or something with warm blueberries and ice cream. can you tell I'm on a diet?
I haven't had caramel oranges in years and now I remember how much I enjoy them.
Thanks for reminding me and for the recipe.
That does sound delicious – and with just 3 ingredients! I've never tasted caramel coated orange peel, but it all sounds so intriguing. Personally, I think I still would have been a wee bit intimidated by the recipe 😉
Thanks for popping in for a visit today! I've been thinking about you the past few days–well, you and your roasted tomatoes. I gave them a bit of a different spin yesterday and will put it on my blog next week. I'll be linking back to you once again as the “original”. Those oranges look delicious and I just happened to stock up on three different varieties over the weekend. I wonder how blood oranges would work mixed in?
Best,
Bonnie
I'm always amazed at what a few simple ingredients can turn out. Nice recipe to use for all the fresh oranges that are in season too.
I love this and used to make a version a lot. Did you know it's also good with a splash of whiskey?
Or as an accompaniment to chocolate mousse?
Hmm…really like the sound of this!
Ha ha, that made me laugh. I have similar panics sometimes that I have forgotten all about WSC. Your oranges sound absolutely fantastic. A caramel crunch with juicy oranges has just got to be brilliant, although doing anything with caramel always sounds a little bit scary.
Oh and thank you for the link, although can't help suspecting the ulterior motive is to remind people who to blame!!!
LOL! Silly billy! LOVELY recipe though……worth waiting for!
Karen
Wow – didn't know this was a Valentine recipe. My friend (as Macaroon says) made it for us this month and I totally fell in love with it and made her give me the recipe.