Have you peeled back the February-March issue of My Table? It’s full of citrus segments, facts and features — and candying citrus rind is still fresh on our minds.
Enough with the puns and rhyming. We caught up with chef JohnMichael Lynch of Ristorante Cavour and asked him to demonstrate candying citrus peel. It’s easy to do and makes a sweet-tart snack as well as a beautiful garnish for desserts and cocktails. Don’t forget you can also use the leftover infused simple syrup for iced tea or cocktails. Watch chef Lynch in the video below.
CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
2 oranges, washed
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1/2 cup water
METHOD Peel the orange rind from the fruit using a peeler. Reserve orange pulp and juice for another use. Remove any pith from the peel with your knife and then cut the peel into thin strips. Place the peel in a sauce pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Strain the peel and repeat process once again. (This helps remove bitterness from the peel.) Next, combine the sugar and water in a sauce pot and bring to boil. Simmer the blanched peel in the simple syrup for three minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Chill the orange peel in the syrup and store overnight. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the strips to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Tap off excess syrup and then roll the strips in sugar. Arrange on a clean and dry wire rack and allow to dry for at least an hour.
To make the orange peel strips into chips: Remove the peel from the syrup and place on a baking sheet lined with a non-stick baking mat so they are not touching. Dry in a 200 degree oven until crisp, about one hour. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
Candied orange slices
1 orange, washed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
METHOD Slice the orange into 1/16″ slices using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Combine the sugar and water in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Simmer the orange slices in the syrup for three minutes. Flip the slices over and continue cooking for another three minutes. Remove the slices from the syrup and place them on a baking sheet lined with a non-stick baking mat. Dry the slices in a 200 degree oven until crisp, about 1 1/2 hours. Allow to cool and store them in an airtight container between sheets of parchment.