Blood Oranges Doused in a Boozy Sugar Syrup
Welcome to the tenth instalment of my series where I test out recipes from an obscure 1990s Italian cookbook. This time, I tested a recipe from the ‘Desserts’ section: Glazed Oranges (Arance Glassate)
I’d never heard of ‘glazed oranges’ before and didn’t find an awful lot about them when researching online. I was intrigued by the photo above, however, and proceeded on with this recipe which actually turned out to be quite a faff; peeling the oranges twice, removing all the pith, and dicing the orange skin into tiny julienned slices is quite an operation, but I’m sure it’s an effort which won’t go unappreciated by your dinner guests.
ADJUSTMENTS
- The recipe called for Grand Marnier but I had Cointreau already in my cupboard and it proved to be a great alternative.
- The syrup is to be boiled for quite a short time at a low heat before you are supposed to be left with a “pale golden brown syrup”. I just cooked it over a medium heat until it thickened – almost like a thin honey. I think it’s technically supposed to be closer to a caramel syrup but I actually preferred it runnier as I found that the oranges absorbed the flavour better – I also adjusted the water quantity slightly to achieve this.
- The oranges are to be peeled a second time with a knife but I found it was much easier – and safer – to just use my hands. There was still a bit of white pith on the outside but I wasn’t too bothered – if you are fussy, then you might want to go the original route of the book.
- I used blood oranges instead as I happened to come across some at my local supermarket and thought they would look and taste even more appealing.
- As an additional note, piecing the oranges back together certainly looks charming, but when it actually comes to eating them, you will likely need to resort to using a knife and fork, as a dainty dessert spoon likely won’t cut it.
FINAL RECIPE RATING: 7/10
Despite the complicated method, the ingredients were very simple, resulting in a refreshingly light and delicious treat. It would be the perfect end to a heavy meal, when you’re still craving something sweet but something not too heavy either. It might also pass as a ‘healthier’ dessert, considering there’s no fat – just a lot of sugar and a little booze for good measure…
Boozy Blood Oranges
Equipment
- 2 small wooden skewers or cocktail sticks
- 2 small serving dishes the oranges should be quite snug in dishes that are deep enough to hold some of the syrup surrounding it – like a sugar moat [see photos]
Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges you can also use normal oranges if you can’t find the blood variety.
- 130 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of Cointreau You can use other orange liqueurs such as triple sec.
Instructions
- Wash and dry the oranges before carefully peeling all of the rind off with a vegetable peeler. Using a sharp knife, remove as much of the white pith from the strips as possible and cut into very thin strips [see photos]
- Using your hands, peel the oranges further, removing as much of the white pith as possible [see notes]
- Cut each orange into four horizontal slices and reshape, holding the segments together by poking a small wooden skewers in the centre of each. Place into the serving dishes and set aside while you make the syrup [see photos and notes]
- Place the thinly sliced orange strips into a small saucepan and cover with some water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes before draining.
- Combine the sugar and 225ml of fresh water in the same pan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cooked orange strips and continue to boil for around 10 minutes or until the orange strips are transparent and glossy.
- Take off the heat and separate the strips from the glaze, placing them onto a lightly oiled plate to cool.
- Return the glaze to the heat and boil uncovered for a further 5-10 minutes or until the syrup has thickened slightly [see notes]
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before stirring in the lemon juice and Cointreau. Allow to cool for a further 5 minutes.
- Pour enough of the cooled syrup over to coat the oranges and top with some of the glazed orange strips. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least a few hours but preferably overnight. Store the extra syrup and the leftover orange strips separately in the fridge.
- Before serving, remove the wooden skewers from the oranges and top with extra syrup and orange strips. Enjoy!
Notes
- Peel the orange as you would if you were planning to eat them as a snack. If you are fussy about the pith, however, you can very carefully slice this layer away using a sharp knife.
- You’re essentially disassembling and reassembling the oranges into their original shapes. Make sure the cocktail stick you’re using is tall enough and insert it into the middle of each orange.
- The syrup should resemble a thin honey but don’t panic too much the consistency – just make sure it doesn’t turn into toffee or burn!
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