I found a copy of Sophie Grigson’s ‘Feasts for a fiver’ in a charity shop and it’s a little gem! One of the first recipes I thought I’d try was this one, the caramelized oranges.
I fancied something sweet, but refreshing. No cream, no melted butter, no eggs, just something simple and elegant. It fills the house with a festive aroma – even the delivery man commented on the lovely cooking smell. (I wonder what was in that box from Amazon…)
As we’re rapidly approaching the festive season, I seriously think this recipe is worth remembering. It would happily adorn a dining table; you could take it to a friend’s house with your head held high.
It’s bright with it’s golden caramel and luscious orange slices. It’s simple without suggesting a lack of effort, yet the amount of effort is minimal. Enjoy.

The recipes calls for 4 oranges – I only had 3 and no desire to go to the shops for one orange.

Pare the zest from one of the oranges and cut it into the finest strips.

You have a choice. You can cook these strips and add them to the oranges to eat with them or, if like me you’re not a fan of peel, you can use them during the cooking and dicard them.

So if you wish to eat them, blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain them and keep them to one side.  If you don’t want to eat them, just keep them aside as they are.

Each of the oranges need to be peeled right down to the flesh. Go steadily and be sure to remove the pith… take the pith?

Put them into the serving dish (therefore catching any juices) and cut them into slices – start at one end so that you get the pretty rounds of orange.

Put 200g caster sugar, 3 cloves (optional) and 100ml cold water in a saucepan. If you’re going to use the peel, but not eat it, chuck that in as well.

Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved

Then cast aside your spoon and increase the heat to bring the syrup to the boil.  Swirl the pan to even out the process, but no stirring.

Once it is that lovely nutty caramel brown…

Add 150 ml hot water to it. Stand back and pour the water in at arm’s length because it gets a bit violent, hence there are no pictures of this. Too busy staying alive.

Swirl to re-melt the caramel and incorporate the newly added water in with it. Continue to simmer for 5 – 10 mins to get it syrupy again.

If you’re wanting to eat the zest, add it once you’ve added the water, then use the 5 – 10 mins simmer to take the zest to the translucent stage.

My zest was frazzled and exhausted, so I poured the syrup through a sieve over the orange slices.

Beautiful.

Caramelized Oranges

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3-4 oranges
200g (7 oz) caster sugar
3 cloves (optional)
100ml cold water
150ml hot water

Method for eating the zest strips:

Pare the zest from one orange and cut it into long, fine shreds. Blanch them in boiling water for and couple of minutes then drain and reserve.

Peel all the oranges with a small sharp knife, cutting right down to the flesh – you don’t want any pith remaining, just naked orange.
In a dish, to catch any juices, slice the oranges from one end across the ‘grain’.
Arrange the slices in the dish.

Put the sugar into a saucepan with the cloves and 100ml cold water.
Stir over a moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved. Once it has, stop stirring and bring to the boil.

Boil it – swirling to even out the colour – until it has caramelized to a nutty, rich brown.
Now add the 150 ml hot water. It will spit and snarl, so do this at arm’s length.
Swirl to incorporate and the stir to allow the caramel to dissolve into the newly added water.

Add the blanched orange strips and gently simmer until translucent (5 – 10 mins) then pour over the orange slices.

Pour the syrup over the oranges and leave to cool.
Serve at room temperature or put in the fridge and serve chilled.

Method for using and discarding the zest:

Pare the zest from one orange and cut it into long, fine shreds. Leave to one side.

Peel all the oranges with a small sharp knife, cutting right down to the flesh – you don’t want any pith remaining, just naked orange.
In a dish, to catch any juices, slice the oranges from one end across the ‘grain’.
Arrange the slices in the dish.

Put the sugar into a saucepan with the cloves, orange zest strips and 100ml cold water.
Stir over a moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved. Once it has, stop stirring and bring to the boil.

Boil it – swirling to even out the colour – until it has caramelized to a nutty, rich brown.
Now add the 150 ml hot water. It will spit and snarl, so do this at arm’s length.
Swirl to incorporate and the stir to allow the caramel to dissolve into the newly added water. Simmer for 5-10 mins to get it syrupy again.

Pour the syrup, through a sieve, over the oranges and leave to cool.
Serve at room temperature or put in the fridge and serve chilled