Recipe: Candied Orange Peels

The Story

When looking for candies that would complement my dairy-free Simply Coconut Chocolate Truffles, I came across this recipe from The Food Network Kitchens.  I found the recipe a few years ago, but it immediately brought back the memory of family trips to Florida to visit my Grandparents.  They had wintered and later retired there and for many years, rented a house with a Kumquat tree in their back yard.  There was a lemon tree, a grapefruit tree and an orange tree, as well.  But my first taste of the tart, tangy, sweet kumquat was so memorable, that I still have a picture of that moment imprinted in my mind.  I think I was six or seven years old, and when I asked how one might peel such a tiny thing, my Grandfather said, "Just eat it all at once - peel and all."  I was rather pleased to have permission to partake in a substance that was here-to-fore forbidden.  (The peel.)  And it was good.

This recipe isn't on Food Network's web site anymore, but it is still a favorite of mine.  I make this and an array of truffles every Thanksgiving.  I love the brightness and color that the orange brings to the table.  I also recently made this for a Power Chicks Brainstorming Party this winter and those sweet, tangy peels still reminded me of warm breezes, kumquats and my Grandfather's extraordinary talent of wiggling his ears without moving any other muscle on his face.  He taught me that trick, too, and I think I can still pull it off. 

So in honor of Grandpa Veltman (hello Grandpa, wherever you are :)), I hope you enjoy these beautiful and unusual treats.

Timing

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Inactive Prep:  4 Hours

Cook Time:  1 Hour 13 Minutes

Yield:  about 4 cups of peel (depends on your orange size)

The Ingredients

9 thick-skinned Valencia or navel oranges (try to find organic, since you are using the peel)

6-3/4 cups of sugar, plus an extra cup for rolling

2-1/4 cups of water

Do a Little Orange Surgery

Cut the tops and bottoms from the oranges.  Then score each orange into quarters.  Cut down into the peel without cutting the fruit (do your best).  Peel the skin and the pith from the orange - it will come off in a large piece.  Set the orange aside and use for another recipe.  Cut the large sections of peel into 1/4-inch wide slices - the long way. 

Boil the Peels

Put the orange peels in a large saucepan with cold water to cover.  Bring the water to boil over a high heat.  As soon as the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the water.  Repeat this one more time.  (If you would like them softer, you can do it a 3rd time, but this makes the peels a little mushy for my taste).  Remove the orange peels from the pan and set aside.

Give the Peels a Sugar Bath

In the same pan, whisk the 6-3/4 cups of sugar with 2-1/4 cups of water.  Put it back on the stove, bring up to a boil, then reduce the temperature so that the peels simmer and cook for 8 or 9 minutes.  The sugar mixture temperature should be at the soft thread stage, 230-234 degrees F after 8 or 9 minutes.  Add the peels to the sugar mixture and simmer gently for about 45 minutes.  You will be tempted to stir the peels - do not do this or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup.  You can swirl the pan to get the floaters to sink down into the sugar if you need to. 

Drain the peels and save the syrup for another recipe.  There is a good 8 or more cups of simple syrup left over, and I'm still looking to find the perfect way to use such a copious amount of syrup.  It can be used in iced tea, drink recipes, cakes and other candies.

Roll & Dress the Peels

Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack for 4 or 5 hours.  Store the peels in a litte of the left over sugar, and store the rest.   You will have a little orange flavored sugar for another recipe.

The peels can be dipped in melted bittersweet chocolate.  I like to do a mixture of both plain peels and chocolate dipped peels. Yum.

Many thanks to the Food Network for introducing me to a recipe that has inspired such great memories.

Power Chicks & Lemon Chicken

Photo taken by Lisa Visbeen Lehmann of Studio Jewel

Brainstorm Party

Sometimes you need a little extra IQ.  A shot of cool, quick inspiration.  A few of the best peops in your corner. 

Since The Tender Palate is a budding business, I can use as many healthy brain cells as I can get.  So I brushed off my rusty entertaining skills, dished up a light supper for a few new power chick friends and “experimented” on them with a totally gluten- and dairy-free menu.  These fun and generous women agreed to help me jump-start a couple of ideas, so I made a variety of dishes that were fairly well-practiced.  I use the word “experiment”, because I’m always curious to see how the palates of people without food allergies react to alternative ingredients.  

We met at one of my favorite event venues, the historic The Leonard at Logan House.  A couple of bottles of Natura Organic Wine added just a teensy-weensy bit of creativity as well.  Both the cabernet sauvignon and the gewürztraminer got rave reviews.  I usually prefer red, but that evening, I tried the white and stuck with it.  I loved the Gewurztraminer’s unusual and pleasant mix of dry and sweet.  I could even taste the promised hint of jasmine.  I think it is my new favorite white (and “gewürztraminer” is really fun to say.)  The cabernet drinkers were especially happy when alternating bites of chocolate truffle with sips of the deep, toasty red.  

The "No Men" Menu

Although no men  were invited to this particular party (next time I'll do an ALL MEN Menu), I threw a bone to equality by serving the same number of dessert items as savory-type dishes.  Because when it comes to chocolate . . . baby, there ain’t no glass ceiling. 

My unsuspecting power chicks were not aware, however, that many of the yummy ingredients in each dish were also power foods.  Here’s the menu plus a little of the moxie behind it. 

Recipe: Cilantro-Lemon Chicken Strips (RECIPE COMING SOON)

*cilantro is purported to be anti-bacterial, there are theories that it can attach to and remove heavy metals from the body (like mercury), and is thought to also balance blood sugar.

Recipe:  Grown-Up Chili

*Lycopene is an anti-oxidant that is thought to reduce the incidence of cancer.  The lycopene in tomatoes is activated best when cooked.

Recipe:  Ina Garten’s Grapefruit/Avocado Salad
               (I also added blanched asparagus to the dish)

               Link to Ina's original recipe

*Adding more lycopene to the dinner is the wonderful and sweet red grapefruit.  A healthy fat, like the avocado in this salad, is the lycopene activator for the grapefruit.  And with the Dijon vinaigrette, the two taste incredible together. 

*Asparagus is high in folate (6 spears contain almost ½ the recommended daily intake), Vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants.  The dijon vinagrette liked the asparagus, too.

Recipe:  Almond Cognac Truffles (RECIPE COMING SOON)

Recipe:  Simply Coconut Chocolate Truffles 

Recipe:  Candied Orange Peels

*Chocolate (particularly dark, minimally processed chocolate) contains flavanols and oleic acid both thought to have healthy effects on your heart.

Natura Organic Gewurztraminer 2010

Natura Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

*Red wine is also full of heart-healthy flavanoids.  Of course, doctor’s orders, moderation and other such laws of your own personal health trump any information given here. 

My Warmest Thanks 

As suspected, it turned out to be a really great evening with great conversation.  If you have an idea that needs some kicking around, try throwing a brainstorm party – and drop me a note to tell me how it went!

Warmest thanks to my power chicks for the evening: 

Kelly Jansens Boos of Green Dog Pet Accessories   & Black Dog Productions, LLC 

Jennifer Phillips Wilson of Grand Development Associates, LLC.

Lisa Visbeen Lehmann of Studio Jewel  

Thanks again to Dave Russo of G.B. Russo & Son for recommending these great wines.