Orange is the new black
This humble fruit is a delight in savoury as well as sweet dishes, says Rachel Allen. Photography by Tony Gavin
The orange is a fruit so ubiquitous, we could almost take it for granted, but one taste of its assertively sunny sweetness reminds us that this citrus family member is a fruit worth reckoning with. In its element in a baker’s kitchen, the orange brings a touch of old-fashioned loveliness to cakes, meringues and pastries. One of my all-time favourite cakes is a classic Victoria sponge scented with orange zest and a little juice, sandwiched together and covered with a deliciously buttery orange icing.
Meringues love a bit of finely grated orange zest folded through the mixture just before baking, and this great-at-any-time-of-the-year orange curd is a joy, wrapped up with whipped cream inside a meringue roulade, as in the recipe, opposite. This quantity of orange curd is enough for two meringue roulades. The curd is also great with regular meringues and cream, cakes or even little drop scones. It will keep in the fridge for a week to 10 days. If you want to make enough curd for just one meringue roulade, then halve the recipe here, but rather than half an egg yolk, use a whole yolk.
Oranges love cream, so adding a touch of orange zest into a creme brulee or creme caramel will work a treat, as does, by the way, an orange posset. I love how the cooks of the Middle East often include oranges in rich, dense almond cakes, and in tagines, too. This quick breakfast or dessert of orange, pomegranate and mint, pictured here, gets an orange double whammy with a generous sprinkle of orange blossom water — which is also great with a scattering of pistachio nuts, if you like them. I ate something like this every morning for breakfast when I was in Marrakech recently; sometimes the pomegranate seeds were replaced with cinnamon for a change.
Oranges in savoury dishes are fabulous, too. Of course, the French knew this when they created the classic duck a l’orange. The gently acidic fruit is a subtle foil to the rich meat, as it also is with goose and pork. I love it when sweet, pan-fried scallops are tempered with segments of juicy orange, or how pan-fried fillets of John Dory welcome a touch of orange zest in a classic beurre blanc.
Lastly, for a fresh take on a roast chicken, this salad with fennel and orange, right, is just the job for a summery supper.
ORANGE, POMEGRANATE AND MINT
(Pictured) Serves 4.
You will need:
4 oranges A drizzle of honey, caster sugar or light agave syrup 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water ½ to 1 pomegranate A small handful of fresh baby mint leaves, or larger fresh mint leaves, shredded 1 tablespoon creme fraiche Cut the top and bottom off the oranges, just down as far as the flesh. Use a knife to peel the oranges, either from the top to the bottom, or in a spiral around the equator. Horizontally cut the oranges into slices. Put the slices in a bowl, then drizzle over the honey, the caster sugar or the light agave syrup, whichever you’re using, and then drizzle the orange blossom water over the top. Gently toss the orange slices, then place the bowl in the fridge for an hour, or even the whole day, to chill (but it can be eaten straight away).
Remove the seeds from the pomegranate by cutting it in half, then holding it over a bowl to catch the seeds and any juices, with the cut side facing the palm of your hand. Smack it with the back of a wooden spoon to release the seeds and juices. Pick out any seeds that haven’t popped out. Repeat this process with the other pomegranate half, or wrap it and keep it the fridge for up to a couple of days to use in another dish.
When you’re ready to serve, divide the dressed orange slices between four plates, along with all the juices, and scatter with the fresh baby mint leaves or the shredded fresh mint leaves, whichever you’re using. Add a blob of creme fraiche on top, then sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.
CHICKEN, FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD
Serves 4-6.
You will need:
1 whole chicken 15g (½oz) soft butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 oranges 2 fennel bulbs Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 large handfuls of salad leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Put the chicken on a roasting tray, sitting breast-side up. Spread the soft butter over the skin and sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken in the oven and roast it for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes until it is cooked. When it’s cooked, the legs should feel quite loose in the bird, and when a skewer is stuck in to the thigh, the juices should run clear. If the chicken begins to look quite dark while it is cooking, cover it with some greaseproof paper or a leftover butter wrapper.
While the chicken is cooking, segment the oranges. Use a small knife and work over a bowl to catch the juices. First, cut the ends off the orange, then carefully cut the peel and pith off in a spiral, until you have a peeled orange with only flesh and no pith.
Next, carefully cut along the edge of each segment — you want to leave behind the membrane and free a wedge of orange from the pith. Repeat until you have all the orange segments. Put them in the bowl, squeeze the peel and remaining membrane over the bowl to extract any last bit of juice, then discard the peel and the membrane. Repeat this process with the other orange.
To prepare the fennel, slice off the fronds at the top, if there are any, and reserve them for later. Next, cut off the stalks and discard them (or add them into a stockpot), then cut the bulb into thin slices, ½cm (less than ¼in) thick.
When the chicken is cooked, take it out of the oven and set it aside for about 20 minutes to rest. Then carve the chicken into pieces and cut the flesh into roughly bitesized chunks. Set aside.
In a bowl, add the fennel slices, the lemon
zest, the lemon juice and the extra-virgin olive oil. Toss gently and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drain off a little of the dressing and use it to toss with the salad leaves, then place the leaves in the middle of a large serving plate. Add the chicken, the orange segments and the sliced fennel, along with any dressing in the bowl. Scatter over the reserved fennel fronds, if there are any, and the chopped fresh parsley, then serve.
MERINGUE ROULADE WITH ORANGE CURD
Serves 6-8.
For the meringue, you will need:
a little sunflower oil 4 egg whites 225g (8oz) caster sugar Icing sugar, for dusting
For the orange curd, you will need:
2 eggs 1 egg yolk 110g (4oz) butter 175g (6oz) caster sugar Finely grated zest and juice of 3 oranges 350ml (12fl oz) almost stiffly whipped cream, to serve Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Line a 32cm x 20.5cm (12in x 8in) Swissroll tin with tinfoil or parchment paper, brushed with a little sunflower oil.
Put the egg whites in a perfectly clean, dry bowl and whisk them, using an electric beater, until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Add a quarter of the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture will hold its shape. Next, gently fold in the remainder of the caster sugar.
Spoon the meringue mixture into the Swiss-roll tin, and spread it out evenly. Place the tin in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the meringue appears marshmallow-ey and has a light spring in the centre .
Remove the tin from the oven and allow the meringue to sit for at least five minutes, then dust the top with icing sugar. Cover it with another sheet of parchment paper or tinfoil and flip it over to turn out the meringue.
Carefully peel off the (upward-facing) tinfoil or parchment-paper base and allow the meringue to cool completely, but do not put it in the fridge.
To make the orange curd, whisk together the eggs and the egg yolk. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a very low heat. Add the caster sugar, the grated orange zest and the orange juice, and then add the beaten eggs and egg yolk. Stir carefully with a wooden spoon, over a gentle heat, until the mixture thickens. This should take about 7-10 minutes. If the heat is too high, the egg will scramble. The curd is ready when the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon and leaves a definite mark when you push your finger through it. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the curd to cool.
To assemble the roulade, spread approximately half of the orange curd evenly over the meringue the cover it, then spread the whipped cream over the top.
Starting at the wide end, gently roll up the roulade to form a log shape, then transfer it to a long serving plate and dust it with icing sugar. Cut into slices to serve.