'SOPHISTICATED ORANGES'

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’# 43         ‘ Sophisticated oranges …‘

  SOPHISTICATED               ORANGES...

In  the days of yore…. the very, very yore when I was but a child of perhaps 12-or-so,  my brand new Sister-in-Law  , “Crunch” ,  entered the World-of-Entertaining  with a *  * flourish *  and a *Grande  Debut*  that really impressed ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS-To-BE’ !

A *Grande  Debut*  which, generously, “Crunch” shared with ME  when I  desperately wanted that *Grande  Debut*  of MY  own! 

Simple and quick, and quite impressive too - (well it would HAVE TO be, wouldn’t it?) for so-called beginner Epicurean Debutantes ! ...

We named this refreshing delectable dessert after Sister-in-Law  -  but if I  dared to do so now, who knows?...

MY   true identity might be *gleamed by some of you, and goodness knows!!!!!......the REAL ME  would be on-the-table … SPLAT !  

… * **  Après tout, peut-être c'est mieux de taquiner un peu?  Eh?  !# * ! 

After all….  is it not perhaps best to tease a little?  Huh?

( *GLEAMED??????????????????...... meaning :  “ …a momentary indication of something”…a peeping through the keyhole of realization!....an epiphany!! - you know: a “glimmer”  )

So I shall divulge not, the Real Name of our orange dessert, but rather give it, it’s own Debut on ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ …we’ll call it: “DRUNKEN ORANGES”  -

And so to YOU, my Reader, I present ….

“DRUNKEN  ORANGES”

It’s so easy to prepare!  Best to make it a day-or-two before!

Who would have thought that such a simple dish could be so scrumptiously delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

INGREDIENTS: MOST IMPORTANT  - REMEMBER
THE ORANGE LIQUEUR AND SERRATED KNIFE

8 large seedless oranges

1 standard cup sugar

1 cup cold water

1 cup boiling water

50 ml Orange liqueur (1 ½ tots)

METHOD:

Preparing the sauce:

SUGAR SYRUP - STAGE 1

SUGAR SYRUP - STAGE 2

SUGAR SYRUP - STAGE 3

SUGAR  SYRUP - READY!
TAKE OFF HEAT AND PLACE POT BASE
 INTO COLD WATER

MAKING THE SAUCE:
ADDING THE CUP OF BOILING WATER
 TO THE CARAMELLED SYRUP
- STIR TO DISOLVE

1) Put the cup of sugar into a heavy-based saucepan, add the cup of cold water, and stir to mix.

2) Heat this without stirring again, on medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a quick boil.

3) Watch this carefully, allowing it to reduce to a thick syrup, and keep watching WITHOUT stirring, until it starts to change colour, and then quite quickly to a dark caramel brown. ("burnt sugar")

4) Remove the pan from the heat, (with a dishtowel wrapped around your hand in case the very hot syrup spills or splashes!) and hold base of the hot pan over a pot of cold tap water, the base of the hot pan touching the water, to immediately stop the syrup cooking further.

5) Then carefully and slowly add 1 cup boiling water to the caramelled syrup. Be careful as it splashes!

6) Return the saucepan to a gentle heat on the stove, and stir to dissolve the hard toffee-like caramel into the water to form your sauce.

7) Once dissolved, cover with a lid, and leave to cool.

Then prepare the oranges:

PUT  'JULIENNE' ORANGE RIND INTO
 A HEAT-PROOF BOWL,
AND FILL ANOTHER BOWL WITH ICED WATER

POUR BOILING WATER OVER THE ORANGE RIND
FOR NOT MORE THAN 1/2 MINUTE 

QUICKLY REMOVE RIND FROM BOILING WATER,
AND PLUNGE INTO ICED WATER

DRAIN ORANGE RIND,
TO USE IN THE CARAMELLED SUGAR SAUCE

HOW ?

1) Using a potato peeler or ‘julienne’ peeler, pare (peel) the thin layer of rind off 1 to 2 oranges, without the bitter white pith (under the rind).

2) Slice these into thin long strands (‘julienne’) and set aside in a glass bowl.

3) Blanche the sliced orange peel in ½ cup of boiling water for just ½ minute at most, and then strain and plunge same blanched rind into iced water. Leave for 5 minutes, and drain, then set aside to use later.

To peel the oranges:

HOW TO PREPARE THE ORANGES

1) Using a small sharp serrated knife, slice the top of the peel off the top of the orange.

2) Then carefully slice down the sides in a ‘sawing movement’, cutting the pith PLUS the outer membrane of the orange, leaving the flesh exposed  – resulting in a beautiful juicy orange sphere.

3) Now carefully slice the peeled orange into rounds about ½ cm thick. Easiest to do so on a cutting board.

4) Repeat this with all 8 oranges, placing them into your serving dish.

5) Scatter the blanched ‘julienne’ rind over the slices of orange.

6) Drizzle the orange liqueur (Cointreau Liqueur or  Bols Triple Sec Liqueur) over the orange slices.

7) Pour the cooled syrup over, and leave to chill for a good couple of hours, or overnight in the fridge.

MMmmmm...THE COINTREAU ORANGE LIQUEUR,
a 1/4 CUP MEASURE (ABOUT 50ml)
plus a STANDARD TOT MEASURING CUP TOO  

Note:

This dessert is suitable to prepare a day or two in advance.

Also can be just as tasty WITHOUT  the liqueur.

Serve chilled, just so, or with icecream.

DRUNKEN ORANGES ,
MARINATED IN A 'BURNT SUGAR'
AND ORANGE LIQUEUR SAUCE

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So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

DRUNKEN ORANGES
&  POLKA DOTS...