For a perfect taste of summer, it's hard to go past blood oranges.
Blood oranges are in the market and I cannot resist them. I know they are an Australian import, but they are a taste of summer that I cannot pass up. They have a rich, sweet flavour that -?is a cross between raspberries and oranges, and with their streaks of claret-red pigmentation, they are exceptionally beautiful.
As I select them, I find myself in discussion with a woman who believes the red blush on the skin is a sign the oranges are bruised and should be on special. I tell her fruit that gives a little when squeezed is not always a sign of age and they will, in fact, produce more juice.
We use the blood oranges to make a variation on our homemade lemon syrup, grating the rinds and squeezing out the juice. Mixing the rind with sugar, tartaric and citric acids, epsom salts and boiling water has provided us with a cordial full of vitality.
Unfortunately, it has not lasted long, despite my hope that we had made enough to get us through summer. My daughter, a Twilight movie fanatic, is eager to drink her “blood syrup” at every opportunity, and she has also been giving it away to her school friends.
The juice has also been used to great effect in a hollandaise sauce, poured generously over asparagus, a bloodied, luscious accompaniment and a perfect marriage of flavours that beats mayonnaise or melted butter any day.
I have thought of making quivering, loosely set marmalade for Christmas gifts, but I will probably run out of time to do so. Blood oranges are full of pectin, so a set is guaranteed, as is a flavour that will lift your spirits in the morning when it is spread on toast. With such a short season, it seems a waste not -?to do what I can to guarantee myself a little pot of blood-red treasure. I remain optimistic that I will get it done.
If I don’t, I will have to satisfy myself with the pleasures of everyday use until the season finishes at the end of this month.
Simple and beautiful, this salad is most tempting when arranged on a serving platter to present to your guests. The salty feta perks up the tastebuds.
Blood Orange and Feta Salad
4 blood oranges
200g soft feta cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
microgreens or small salad leaves
Dressing
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp blood orange juice
60ml olive oil
salt and pepper
Slice the tops and bottoms off the oranges, then use a sharp knife to peel off the skin as close as possible to the flesh, removing all the white pith as you go. Slice the oranges thinly, removing any pips, and place the slices in a large bowl. Chop the cheese into small cubes and mix with the orange. Mix through the olive oil. Place the salad on a serving plate and drizzle the dressing over it. Garnish with the salad greens.
To make the dressing, put the juices in a bowl and beat in the oil with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
I love the magnificent elegance of carpaccio. Wafer-thin slices of salmon, sliced thinner than sashimi, carry a lot of summer promise. I garnish mine with microgreens, but chopped chives or parsley will be fine.
Salmon Carpaccio with Blood Orange Vinaigrette
250g fillet piece of salmon
olive oil
Vinaigrette
1 tbsp dijon mustard
juice of 1 blood orange
2 shallots
100ml olive oil
salt and pepper
Trim the salmon of any dark, oily parts and ensure all the tiny pin bones have been removed. Slice the salmon as thinly as possible – no thicker than a dollar coin. Place the slices between 2 sheets of plastic wrap lightly brushed with olive oil, then gently pound each piece until very thin. Peel off the plastic wrap and place the salmon in a single layer on a large serving platter. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salmon and serve.
To make the vinaigrette, put the mustard and orange juice in a small bowl. Finely chop the shallots and add to the bowl. Whisk in the oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Enough for 4.
This is a Sunday afternoon dish, for those times when you are likely to want to dine outdoors and need something refreshing.
Blood Orange Jelly with Almond Sorbet
2 leaves of gelatine
juice of 4 blood oranges
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until soft, then drain and gently squeeze the gelatine. Discard the water. Bring the orange juice, sugar and water to the boil in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the gelatine leaves, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour the mixture through a sieve into 6 individual moulds. Put the moulds in the fridge to set – it will take about 2 hours. Turn the jellies out onto individual plates and place a spoonful of almond sorbet alongside.
Almond Sorbet
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
100ml water
150g blanched almonds
500ml buttermilk
Bring the lemon juice, sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, then cool. Lightly toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until golden brown, then pulverise in a food processor to a fine powder. Mix all the ingredients together, then pour into an electric ice-cream maker and churn until nearly frozen. Or pour the mix into a shallow tray and place in the freezer, whisking and stirring every couple of hours until the mixture is nearly frozen, whisking one final time before serving with the jelly.
Enough for 6.