IN SEASON... oranges
Don’t overlook the humble orange – when fruit is scarce, they are a flavour saver says Alice Taylor.
culinary salvation: when summer fruits are long gone and the options in the fruit and vege section are scant, I truly appreciate the humble orange. I have always chosen oranges as my fruit of choice – I think the only reason why I was somewhat okay with attending my brother’s soccer games every Saturday was because I would steal orange slices from the team lunchbox during their breaks. Oranges are as versatile as they are delicious, they can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes or enjoyed on their own. They work wonderfully when used fresh as well as cooked, and the zest gives an entirely different flavour to the pulp and even the pith.
ORANGE CAKE WITH BURNT-ORANGE CARAMEL
SERVES 8 / PREPARATION 30 MINUTES / COOKING 55 MINUTES
Orange cake is wonderful, but most recipes require boiling the fruit first and letting it cool down before blending it into the batter. When I want to make cake, it is most times because I need it, and I do not want to wait. This orange cake doesn’t require the boiling and cooling step. Orange is celebrated in the cake batter itself, on the top of the cake and in a burnt-orange caramel. The pith is often seen as the worst part of the orange, but not in desserts – like a good savoury dish, a dessert needs a balance of sweetness, acidity and bitterness.
FOR THE CARAMEL
2 oranges 200g sugar 150g cream
Burn the oranges by cutting them in half and placing on a very hot pan flesh-side down until burnt, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, then squeeze the juice into a small bowl and set aside.
To make the caramel, heat the sugar in a pan until caramelised and golden. Add the cream, remove from the heat and whisk in the juice. Set aside to cool.
FOR THE CAKE
4 oranges
200g butter 200g sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste 4 eggs
200g self-raising flour
Heat the oven to 180℃. Grease and line a 25cm round cake tin.
Zest 3 oranges and set the zest aside. Cut these oranges in half, scoop out the flesh and roughly dice into 1cm pieces.
Cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes if using a mixer. Add vanilla paste and beat until combined. Add 1 egg and a quarter of the flour and beat on medium speed until just combined. Repeat this with the remaining eggs and flour. Fold through the orange zest and flesh.
Slice the last orange very thinly, around 3mm thick. Arrange the orange slices evenly on the bottom of the tin. Pour over one-third of the caramel, until a thin layer covers the bottom of the dish. Set aside the remaining caramel for serving with the cake. Scrape the cake batter into the tin. Bake for around 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out upside down on a wire rack to cool. Serve with extra caramel drizzled over the top.
1 Spiced orange syrup
Make a big batch of orange syrup for orangeade or a variety of cocktails. Peel the zest from 10 oranges and squeeze the juice. Weigh the juice and add the same quantity of sugar and heat to melt. Remove from the heat and add 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise and a few peppercorns. Allow to infuse for at least 8 hours, before straining and serving. Add a tablespoon to an Aperol spritz or gin and soda, or make a quick mulled wine by adding 1 part syrup to 2 parts wine and warming on the stove.
2 Endive salad with orange miso dressing
To make the dressing, combine 2 tablespoons miso with the juice and zest of 2 oranges and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cut 4 endive in half and brush generously on both sides with the dressing. Bake at 180℃ for around 15-20 minutes, until golden and tender. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly and pour over the remaining dressing. I like to add some fresh orange segments and rocket as well. If you can’t find endive, try cabbage instead.
3 New potatoes with orange dressing
Make a dressing with ½ cup mayo, 1 cup orange juice, a clove of garlic and salt and pepper. Toast ½ cup walnuts in 1 tablespoon butter and the zest of 2 oranges. Add the dressing to 400g boiled, cooled and diced potatoes (new potatoes or other waxy potatoes are best), 1 finely diced red onion and a thinly sliced apple.
4 Lamb & orange stew
This is an easy way to elevate a lamb or beef stew. Combine the zest and juice of 2 oranges, 1 cup fresh herbs (I like mint and parsley), 1 clove finely diced garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. This mixture is delicious in anything, but exceptional if you take your classic lamb stew and stir through this punchy mixture at the very end.
Alice Taylor is a pastry chef, Masterchef finalist and the author of Alice in Cakeland. @alicetayloreats