- Prep time 20 min. Cook time 10 min
This recipe for fresh orange slices with caramelized peel is a quick and easy desert with a high wow factor.
I am not big on deserts especially after a rich meal. I prefer refreshing deserts that provide a light sweet finale to my meal rather than one that seals a thick layer of baked calories over my already full stomach. This recipe does the trick for me.
It is one of one of the very first deserts I ever made. It brings back many memories of the first dinners I served to friends in my tiny London mews flat and long, lazy summer lunches in my Sydney beach house many decades later. Now it is my go-to desert whenever I want a quick, elegant way to end a meal.
The secret is in peeling, stripping and caramelizing of the peel – not that it is a big secret but it does take some care and a little time to get it right. Once mastered, the rest is a simple matter of slicing oranges. That’s it!
Fresh Oranges With Caramelized Peel
by
Derek Farwagi
Equipment
- A small sauce pan to caramelize the orange peel.6
Ingredients
These ingredients and timing are for 2 portions. Peeling and stripping the peels into thin strips takes time and care. Allow one orange per person. The strips from the peel of two oranges will be more than enough for the two portions and any leftover sauce can stay refrigerated in a sealed container for a couple of months and used on ice cream.
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 navel oranges
Instructions
- With a sharp potato peeler and starting from the stem work down the orange and peel the rind of two oranges taking to care to keep the white pith to minimum. Set the oranges aside.2. Slice the rinds of one orange in 1/8 strips.
- In small saucepan add 1/4 of cup of water, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and the rind strips and bring to a vigorous boil and stirring frequently.
- In about 10 minutes the mixture will start turning a golden brown and this is the tricky bit. You want to keep boiling and stirring the mixture until it turns a very dark brown ( not black) and starts crystallizing. ( if you think you are burning the pan, don't worry it is just sugar that will dissolve with water).
- Once all the water had evaporated, take the pan off the fire and slowly add a drizzle of warm water cup enough to liquify the caramelized sugar. TAKE GREAT CARE. THE COLD WATER ON THE HOT SUGAR WILL START SPLATTERING WHEN YOU DO SO.
- Pour in a bowl to cool and if you really want to be fancy, add a tablespoonful of Grand Marnier.
- Peel all the oranges down to the flesh, slice in thickish 1/4 inch slices and put in a flat serving dish. Pour on some of the caramelized sauce and rinds and keep at room temperature with any excess sauce in a separate bowl.
- Garnish with coarsely chopped pistachios if you have any around.
Notes
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