e-Claire: I Love Learning New Shit!

Friday, December 23, 2005

Candied Orange Peels - Re-Redux

hang onta yer chef’s hats

[aka: “Claire! Where ya been?!?”
“Bein’ contrary, that’s where."]

Overall Ordenance Needed:

6 - 8 organic thick-skinned Valencia or navel oranges
[the *whatever* on the regular ones makes for bitter… or kills ya—one or the other.... or both....]

4 1/2 cups superfine sugar, plus 3-4 C extra for rolling
1 1/2 cups water

8 - 9 0z. Bittersweet chocolate 70% or better
ScharffenBerger—the only chocolate worth your time.

sharpened knife - small chef
cutting board
random bowls

large heavy stock pot
candy thermometer
heatproof bowl of cold water
whisk
strainer
long spoon—heatproof

cutting drum on a large mixer
[or other way to easily shave the chocolate]
metal bowl with handle [easiest]
pot that fits your bowl for use as double boiler
towels to rest bowl of melted chocolate on - insululation
cake racks/drying racks
parchment paper

Le Méthode

Cut tops and bottoms off of the oranges and score the orange in 1” sections, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit.
slice off those strips as thinly as possible
[don’t worry too much—you’ll hafta go back and fillet them later no matter what]
[use the orange innards for something else]

I finally developed a technique not unlike filleting a fish.

Lay the 1” slices flat on the cutting board
Run a *sharp* knife parallel to the board to remove as much white stuff as possible.
Then cut to desired strip size - about 1/4” wide.
The goal is to have the largest possible piece that will lie flat for filleting. Otherwise it would get too, too tiresome.

Here’s the slicing process I settled on:

Step the Next—Blanching

The best pot for this step is one with a pasta insert [sieve-like thing that can be lifted out so that it drains as you lift.]
Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water as to cover and 1/4 t salt.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Pour off the water.
Run very cold water over peels to stop the cooking process and help retain the color.

Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. Taste to find out.
[I liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness.]
Remove the orange peels from the pan.

Now the cooking begins

[NB Molten sugar is a lot like molten lead in it’s destructive capabilities—it not only burns but it sticks, kinda like the napalm of the kitchen. Keep a heatproof bowl of cold water on the side to store the spoon. When the syrup gets to temperature, a bit dropped in the cold water will form a soft thread. Somehow I never tire of this trick...]

Whisk the 4 1/2 C sugar with 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 Cup corn syrup.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes.
It will look milky-white until just the moment when it begins to boil whereupon it instantly clears up and glistens. [I love the science magic of cooking!]

Take the syrup’s temperature with a candy thermometer—it should be at the soft thread stage, 230° to 234° degrees F.

Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer and keep the temp below 235°.
Make sure to keep the temp below 235° or the peels will caramelize too much and get hard.
Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes—less for thinner pieces.

Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary use a dry spoon to gently move the peels around.
If necessary, use a pastry brush [or folded paper towel] dipped in water to remove crystals from sides of pan.

When translucent and tasty [taste one, they cool quickly] drain the peels.
I dredge them out with a flat whisk but a strainer over a heatproof bowl would work.
[save the syrup for iced tea] [or to flavor your booze—mmmmm]

Dump the peels in a baking dish with 1” of sugar on the bottom and toss to coat. Separate any pieces that may be stuck together and lay out on a rack to dry for 4 to 5 hours.
Return peels to the sugar to store.

See? E.Z.

This is the beginning of the sugaring process. The Sugar syrup is at 234° and I’ve just plopped the peels in. Purdy, huh?

This is when they’ve reached temperature—real purdy, huh? You can kinda see that they’re getting translucent around the edges.

Ok—out of the pot and into dry sugar to coat and keep ‘em separated. Then I laid them out on a sheet of parchment to dry for a coupla hours.

I gotta say—they’re yummy!

Now, melt some chocolate by shaving and placing in a bowl over a pot of water which has been boiled but is not currently on the stove. [Hint: Make sure the chocolate doesn’t get over 95° and ya never hafta worry about re-tempering it.]

Dip ends [majority of] peels in chocolate and allow to set on a sheet of parchment paper. Store air-tight and prepare to receive the adulation of multitudes.

Posted by Claire on 12/23/05 at 08:37 AM
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