ORANGE & POMEGRANATE COUSCOUS WITH ROAST CHICKEN
Serves 4
- 200g (7oz) couscous
- 2 oranges or blood oranges, both zested, 1 juiced and 1 segmented
- 1 fat garlic clove, grated
- 2cm (¾in) piece of ginger, grated
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 225ml (8fl oz) hot vegetable stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50g (1¾oz) toasted almonds
- 1 chilli, chopped (optional)
- 1-2tsp harissa paste
- 3tbsp pomegranate seeds
- 2 large handfuls each of parsley and mint, roughly chopped
- 2tbsp olive oil
To serve
- Cooked roast chicken, sliced
- Watercress or rocket
Place the couscous in a bowl. Add the orange zest and juice, garlic, ginger and cinnamon. Pour the stock over and cover with a cloth or lid. Leave for 20 minutes then fluff up with a fork to separate all the grains. Season well.
Add the almonds, chilli (if using), harissa, pomegranate seeds, herbs and the orange segments. Season and stir the olive oil through. Serve with roast chicken and watercress or rocket.
ORANGE AND CHILLI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Makes 6
- 100g (3½oz) golden caster sugar
- 1 orange or blood orange, zest pared into fine strips
- 6 medium eggs
- 20g (¾oz) cocoa powder
- ½tsp chilli powder
- 200ml (7fl oz) whipping cream
- 200g (7oz) 70% dark chocolate
Put the sugar, zest and 50ml hot water into a pan and place over a low heat, swirling the pan until the sugar has melted. Boil for 2 minutes.
Separate 4 of the eggs, placing the whites into a bowl and setting aside, and placing the yolks into another bowl. Add the 2 whole eggs to the 4 yolks, then add the cocoa and chilli. Mix with an electric whisk for a minute or two until thickened.
Remove the zest from the syrup and set aside. Add the syrup to the egg yolk mixture in a steady stream and whisk until thick, about 4-5 minutes.
Whisk the cream until it holds its shape. In another bowl, melt the chocolate in a pan set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
Fold the melted chocolate into the egg and cocoa mix, then the cream and then the egg whites, to form a light mousse. Spoon into 6 glasses and chill for at least an hour. Use the reserved orange zest to garnish before serving.
NOTE: This recipe contains raw eggs.
CHOCOLATE CUSTARD TART WITH CARAMELISED ORANGES
Serves 8-10
For the chocolate pastry
- 150g (5½oz) plain flour
- ¼tsp salt
- 75g (2¾oz) cocoa powder
- 100g (3½oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- 2 medium egg yolks
- For the custard filling
- 500ml (18fl oz) double cream
- 75g (2¾oz) caster sugar
- 8 medium eggs, yolks only
For the caramelised oranges
- 4 oranges or blood oranges
- 100g (3½oz) caster sugar
To make the pastry case, whizz the flour, salt, cocoa and icing sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and blitz to a crumb texture. Add the yolks and 1tbsp water and blitz until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough, adding a splash more water if needed.
Dust your work surface with a little icing sugar, turn out the pastry onto it and gather into a ball. Roll out to the thickness of a pound coin then drape over the rolling pin and transfer to a 23cm loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin, trimming any excess.
Chill for 30 minutes, then preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Cut a circle of baking parchment large enough to line the pastry in the base of the tin. Fill with baking beans or uncooked rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes more.
Zest one of the oranges, then cut the peel and pith off the other oranges. Using a sharp knife, cut between the membranes to remove the orange segments. Set aside with any juices. For the filling, warm the cream in a pan. Whisk the sugar and yolks (keep the whites to make a meringue) in a bowl then pour over the warm cream, whisking well to get a smooth custard. Stir in the zest.
Place the tart on the oven shelf and carefully pour in the custard. Reduce the oven to 150°C/fan 130°C/gas 2. Cook for 30 minutes or until just set, with a slight wobble in the centre.
For the caramelised oranges, place the sugar in a pan and heat gently until melted. Increase the heat until the sugar caramelises to a pale brown colour. Add the orange segments and any juices. Shake the pan to combine and serve with the tart.
ORANGE FREE-FORM FRANGIPANE TART
Serves 6-8
- 375g (13oz) ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, plus flour, for dusting
- 100g (3½oz) ground almonds or hazelnuts
- 100g (3½oz) golden caster sugar
- 115g (4oz) butter, softened
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 1 large or 2 small oranges or blood oranges
- ½tsp fennel seeds, crushed and mixed with 1tbsp golden caster sugar
- 50g (1¾oz) slivered almonds or chopped pistachios
- A few soft thyme leaves, to garnish
- Crème fraîche, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6 and line a baking tray with foil.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the size of a dinner plate, about 20-25cm. Trim the edges and carefully lift onto the lined tray. Chill for 10 minutes.
For the frangipane, in a small bowl combine the ground almonds or hazelnuts, sugar, butter and the egg. Using a serrated knife, strip the skin and pith from the orange or oranges. Slice the flesh as thinly as possible across the grain.
Put in a sieve over a bowl to drain off excess juice. Take the tart shell from the fridge. Spoon the frangipane mixture over and spread almost to the edge, leaving a 2cm border. Top with the orange slices.
Bring the edges of the pastry up and crimp it to form a raised border. Lift up the foil around the edges to bolster them. Scatter with the fennel seed mix, then the nuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and the frangipane has puffed up. Cool slightly, scatter with thyme and serve with crème fraîche.
ORANGE MARMALADE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING
Serves 6
300ml (10fl oz) milk
300ml (10fl oz) double cream
2 oranges or blood oranges
1tsp vanilla paste
10 green cardamom pods, crushed
50g (1¾oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
12 slices of slightly stale white bread
4 large free-range eggs
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
75g (2¾oz) sultanas
4tbsp good-quality bitter orange marmalade
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 and grease a 20-25cm round or square baking dish. Put the milk and cream into a pan.
Zest the oranges and add to the pan, along with the vanilla and cardamom pods. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Butter the bread and cut into triangles.
Remove the rest of the peel from the oranges with a sharp knife and discard. Thinly slice the flesh and set aside. Lightly whisk the eggs and sugar together then pour in the infused cream, through a sieve, to make a custard.
Layer the bread into the baking dish, butter-side up. Add a layer of orange slices and sultanas, then repeat. Pour the custard mix over, pressing the bread down to coat. Take a large, deep roasting tray, put the baking dish inside and half fill the tray with boiling water.
Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until puffed and golden. Heat the marmalade gently in a pan or the microwave. Using a pastry brush, glaze the top of the pudding and serve immediately.
ORANGE SPICED KING PRAWNS
Serves 4
- 1 orange or blood orange, zested and juiced
- 3tbsp honey
- 2tbsp soy
- 1tbsp rice vinegar
- 5cm (2in) piece of ginger, grated
- 3tbsp cornflour
- 2tbsp sesame seeds
- ½tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 350g (12oz) raw king prawns
- 1tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Spring onions, fresh chilli and coriander, all chopped, to garnish
In a jug, mix together the orange zest and juice, honey, soy, vinegar and ginger. Set aside. In a bowl combine the cornflour, sesame seeds and Chinese five-spice powder.
Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tail on. Toss the prawns through the cornflour mix. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the coated prawns and the garlic. Stir-fry until the prawns are just pink and their coating is golden.
Transfer to a plate. Pour the orange sauce into the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently to thicken for 3-4 minutes, then add the prawns back into the pan and stir to coat. Garnish with spring onions, chilli and coriander.
ORANGE AND LEMON GIN JELLIES
Serves 6
- 6 oranges or blood oranges
- 4 leaves of platinum-grade gelatine (try Dr Oetker, from supermarkets)
- 75g (2¾oz) granulated sugar
- 75-100ml (2½-3½fl oz) gin, or to taste
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Crystallised orange peel (optional, see tip across the bottom of the page) and crème fraîche, to serve
Squeeze the juice of all 6 oranges – you will need about 475ml (17fl oz) juice (peel one first if you are making the crystallised orange peel garnish). Place 100ml (3½fl oz) in a bowl, add the gelatine leaves and leave to soften for 10 minutes.
Pour another 100ml (3½fl oz) of the orange juice into a pan with the sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the softened gelatine and orange juice and heat very gently, stirring, until the gelatine has dissolved.
Pour into a jug with the remaining orange juice, and stir in the gin to taste, along with the lemon juice. Pour into 6 dessert glasses, and leave to set in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight. When ready to serve, decorate with crystallised peel, if using, and crème fraîche.
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