The tart flavour of citrus brightens winter dishes as much as it refreshes in the hot summer.
Winter is when citrus fruits are at their sweetest and juiciest. It is the time to squeeze fresh juice for breakfast or make a variety of recipes using oranges, grapefruit, limes and lemons.
Before squeezing for juice, wash the fruit and zest the rind with a microplane rasp. The rind dries easily on a piece of parchment paper or freeze it for future use. When zesting or using the rind be sure not to cut into the white pith under the peel. It is bitter.
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Citrus fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C, fibre, thiamine, folate, potassium, calcium and antioxidants. One large orange can supply more than your total daily requirement for vitamin C.
When shopping look for fruit that is firm and heavy for its size. It will have more juice.
Citrus prefers room temperature to the cold refrigerator but to keep it for longer than a week, it should be refrigerated.
Chicken piccata
Slice that chicken breasts horizontally so they are easier to pound thin.
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- black pepper and kosher salt
- 1 large lemon
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 125 mL
- 2 tbsp. olive oil 30 mL
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c. chicken stock 125 mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter 22 mL
- 1 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped 15 mL
Slice the chicken breasts horizontally. Place between sheets of plastic kitchen wrap and pound to about 3/4 inch (two centimetres) thick. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Cut lemon in half and juice one half and slice the other half into thin rounds. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet until hot. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and shake to remove excess flour.
Place chicken in heated pan and gently saute over medium heat until cooked and golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Make the sauce by adding more oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute shallots until softened. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add stock, lemon juice and lemon slices. Simmer gently and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Gently simmer until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, capers and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return chicken to the pan and heat gently.
Serve immediately with spaghetti or rice. Serves four.
Upside down blood orange cake
This is best when served still slightly warm from the oven.
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter 45 mL
- 1/3 c. light brown sugar 75 mL
- 2 tsp. fresh orange juice 10 mL
- 2-3 blood oranges, medium-sized
- zest from 1 orange
- 1 c. fine cornmeal 250 mL
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 125 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 22 mL
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 2 mL
- 1 c. unsalted butter 250 mL
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar 175 mL
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 c. plain yogurt 75 mL
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract 10 mL
Heat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease a nine-inch (22 cm) round cake pan.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt three tablespoons (45 mL) butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice. Stir until sugar melts, about three minutes. Pour mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
Grate zest from one of the oranges, then slice off the tops and bottoms of all oranges. Place one at a time on a cutting board and slice away the rind and pith, top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Slice each orange crosswise into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick rounds and discard any seeds.
Arrange orange rounds on top of brown sugar mixture in the pan in a single layer.
In a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together remaining one cup (250 mL) butter with granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in yogurt and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
Pour batter into pan over oranges. Place pan on a cooking sheet to catch any drips during baking. Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the perimeter to loosen the cake. Invert onto a platter and cool before serving.
Chicken and onion tagine
Tagine is the name of the dish and also the pan it is cooked in. A Moroccan tagine has a cone-shaped lid that allows the steam to trickle back down into the food and maintain a moist cooking atmosphere. If you don’t have a tagine use a heavy stovetop Dutch oven.
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste 15 mL
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed 10 mL
- 1 tsp. paprika 5 mL
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric 5 mL
- 1/4 c. olive oil 60 mL
- 4 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
- 4 skinless bone-in chicken drumsticks
- 1 tsp. crushed saffron threads 5 mL
- 3 medium yellow onions, cut into 12 wedges each
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
- 1 c. pitted green olives 250 mL
- 1 1/3 c. parsley, finely chopped 75 mL
- cooked white rice, for serving
Make a paste by using the flat side of your knife, chop and mash salt and garlic together on a cutting board into a smooth paste. Add paste to a large bowl and stir in cumin, paprika and turmeric.
Stir in three tablespoons (45 mL) oil, and then add chicken thighs and drumsticks. Toss until evenly coated.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for four hours.
When ready to cook, heat remaining oil in an eight-quart (eight litre) Dutch oven or large tagine over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, add chicken pieces, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add saffron and onions to pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes.
Return chicken to pot along with lemon slices and one cup (250 mL) water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes.
Remove from heat, and scatter olives and cilantro over chicken. Serve with rice. Adapted from Saveur magazine.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
