An elegant early spring dessert

Orange you gonna serve dessert?

One of the joys of entertaining folks at home will be realizing we are back to some sort of normalcy and not eating with friends facing a laptop screen.

Dessert is one of the great treats of life.  When you did cook dinner for friends, do you run out of energy for dessert?  Default to bakery cake or tubs of ice cream?  I would guess at least once, after making your special boeuf bourguignon or apple stuffed Cornish game hens, dessert was the last thing on your mind.  But how elegant to actually finish a meal with a well-thought-out show-stopper dessert that is light, unusual, incredibly easy, and --for those who eschew desserts due to gluten intolerance, something all can share.

 

There are seasons for all fruits and we are still in citrus season.  Admittedly, one’s heart is looking to spring:  the apple tree is blooming, lilacs are starting to spread their smell and the peonies are gaining height daily.  But we are weeks, if not months, from spring and summer fruits, i.e., strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb.  

Oranges macerated in red wine are elegant and refreshing.  To macerate a fruit is to soak it in a liquid, or sprinkle it with sugar, to soften or infuse the fruit with the soaking liquid.  In this case, a mulled red wine infuses orange slices or supremes (i.e., sections without membranes) with a bit of sweetness, a bit of sneakiness from the wine and some of the flavor from the aromatics used in the wine infusion. 

There are many Spanish and Italian variations for macerated oranges.  Several great cookbook authors offer alternatives:  Marcella Hazan macerates oranges with just sprinkled sugar, lemon juice and zest; she suggests Cointreau or Maraschino as a last-minute optional flourish.  Maida Heatter accords the dish a Cuban flourish with dark rum and guava jelly.  It is all good.

Oranges in red wine

Ingredients

4 oranges (plan on about one per person, increase or decrease other components accordingly)

½ bottle red wine (about 1½ cups); a bottle is about 25 ounces (750ml).  Note: fruity and dry is good (I used Syrah), but this is a great use for leftover dregs from several bottles. (horrors).  Any combo will work

½ cup brandy (optional)

½ cup sugar (½ honey and ½ sugar are good, sugar: white or brown)

Whole piece Aromatics:  sliced fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, anise, peppercorns, chili pepper, sprig of rosemary, allspice; (any combination)

Mint sprig -- garnish (optional)

Preparation

1.  Peel and section orange:  two choices: place orange on cutting board, slice off top and bottom.  Place upright on one of the cut sides.  Cut the curve of the white pith and orange colored zest/skin in wide strips from top to bottom, exposing just the internal fruit.  Trim any remaining pith.  Then, (1) slice peeled oranges in less than ½ inch slices (parallel to the equator); or (2) cut orange segment  “supremes” cutting between the membranes for segments shaped like smiles.
2. Heat wine, sugar and aromatics of choice in sauce pan.  Bring to simmer.  Simmer about 5 minutes.  Add brandy.  Some recipes advise reducing this syrup by half.  I don’t; but it can’t hurt.
3. Pour the warm mulled wine over orange segments or slices.  Allow to rest at least 1 hour; the longer the better.  Overnight is ideal.
4. Strain aromatics from wine and oranges.  Serve the oranges in elegant glassware:  martini glasses are excellent.  Place oranges in glass; Pour over wine.  Garnish with mint.  Eat the oranges, sip the wine; refresh your breathe with the mint.
5. Non-alcoholic variation:  Clean the orange slices or supremes, place on flat platter or in 9 x 13 baking pan, sprinkle with lemon or orange zest and sugar. Squeeze some additional orange and lemon juice over, (2 oranges, 1 lemon).  Toss several times, careful not to break up orange pieces.  Cover and refrigerate about 4-6 hours—overnight is good.  Serve room temperature.
6. A geek-y other consideration of making this dessert is the remaining orange peel.  This is not difficult to caramelize if you are stuck at home with little else to do:  blanch the peels 4 times in fresh water; cut into strips, simmer in a heavy sugar syrup about an hour, dry on wire rack cut and roll in superfine sugar, or confectioner’s sugar.  Dip in chocolate.  But this may be a recipe for another time.

Susan Delbert is the National Press Club executive chef. She oversees the Club's catering and two restaurants, the Fourth Estate and the Reliable Source.  Contact her:  [email protected]