http://www.news-press.com/article/20100113/ENT/1130343/1013/LIFESTYLES/Orange-you-glad-it-s-citrus-season
Orange you glad it's citrus season?
Florida's bounty adds zest to your cooking
by drew sterwald dsterwald@news-press.com January 13, 2010
Oranges and tangerines? Check.
Lemons and limes? Loads.
Grapefruit? Got 'em.
Wintertime is citrus season in Southwest Florida. Besides their better-known cousins, it's time for calamondins, kumquats and pomelos. Citrus is the latest "At Season's Peak" promotion from Publix Supermarkets.
If you find yourself with a bounty of fruit, there are myriad ways to take advantage of it in cooking. Think beyond the sweet stuff - the pies, candies and cakes that have long been staples of subtropical cooks.
When her neighbor shares a bumper crop of calamondins from his tree, Pat Zinke of Cape Coral turns the petite fruit into a savory sauce for grilled, citrus-marinated duck. She cooks them with orange segments, lemon zest, chicken broth, white wine and apricot preserves with touch of rosemary and thyme. The glaze resembles a finer version of the duck sauce traditionally served in Chinese restaurants.
"It's tedious beyond belief getting all the seeds out," she said. "It's got a sharp-sweet taste with the duck, which basically doesn't have that much flavor."
From marinades to salad dressings, rich sauces to basic barbecue, juiced citrus fruit plays a supporting role in dishes savory as well as sweet. It's a versatile seasoning that spans the globe, adding tang to Asian curries and Peking duck, balancing French beurre blanc and tenderizing Latin lechon asado.
"Citrus is one of my favorite things," said Christopher Cassel, a Fort Myers chef and president of the American Culinary Federation's Southwest Florida Chapter. "Without it, we would be lacking a huge flavor component in our lives."
Citrus can be used fairly interchangeably, he said, even though most lemons and limes are more astringent than oranges and grapefruit. The Meyer lemon, believed to be a cross between a lemon and an orange, is sweeter, less acidic and thinner-skinned than other lemons.
What's more, citrus is a good source of vitamin C and flavonoids, which act as an antioxidant.
Using freshly squeezed juice imparts a bright zestiness that outshines commercially packaged juices.
Cassel, executive chef at Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club, incorporates orange juice in his barbecue sauce. When he owned a Mexican restaurant, limes were a key component in much of his cooking.
"Every culture utilizes citrus in their cooking," he said. "You need the acidity to create balance in any basic sauce."
John Venuto, the chef at Parrot Key Caribbean Grill at Fort Myers Beach, was working on one of those basic sauces when reached in his kitchen. He was preparing a beurre blanc sauce - a reduction of wine, vinegar and shallots thickened with butter. For a striking effect, he added blood-orange juice to the sauce, which accompanied seared sea scallops for a holiday dinner.
"I just juiced a 40-pound case of blood oranges," he said while taking a break. "They just came into season - I'm really excited."
Although Venuto's oranges came from California - Florida blood oranges typically don't turn as dramatically dark red as those from California - any Sunshine State citrus can be used in the classic French sauce.
"You can use lemons - grapefruit is perfect for a nice, light sauce," he said. "You have to really cook it down to intensify the flavor so it doesn't get lost in a rich sauce. It balances out the butter."
The acidity that adds counterpoint to a rich sauce also can tenderize meats and seafood. But when using citrus in a marinade, be careful not to let delicate fish or shellfish sit too long, Venuto said.
"The acid can start to cook fish or shrimp," he said. "That's how you get ceviche."
Red grapefruit beurre blanc
dresses up easy-to-make
sauteed flounder.
(The Associated Press)
Recipes
Sauteed Flounder With Red Grapefruit Beurre Blanc
The key to success is using a nonstick pan and having a long spatula for flipping the fish. This will ensure that the delicate fillets don't stick or break apart while they're being sauteed.
Servings: 4
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound flounder or sole fillets (or any mild white fish)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup red grapefruit juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
In a shallow dish or pie plate, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper. One at a time, dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the fish and cook until lightly browned and just opaque at the center, about 2 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
Add the shallot to the pan and cook over medium-high, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the grapefruit juice and mustard, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and tarragon. Transfer the fish to serving plates and top with the pan sauce.
- The Associated Press
Chicken with Kumquat-Lemongrass Dressing
Jean-Georges Vongerichten developed this recipe for Bon Appetit. It makes use of several types of citrus that can be grown in Southwest Florida. Lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are available at most Asian markets.
Dressing;
- 1 1/2 cups sliced lemon grass (6 stalks)
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped kaffir lime leaves* or 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 to 3 large)
- 1/2 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced kumquats, seeded
- 1 red Thai chile, sliced into thin rounds
Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 boneless chicken breast halves with skin and 6 boneless chicken thighs with skin
- Chopped fresh cilantro
For dressing:
Bring first five ingredients to boil in medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool lemon grass syrup; strain into small bowl.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and ginger; sauté 5 minutes. Add kumquats and lemon grass syrup; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix in chile; cool. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For chicken:
Place large rack on large rimmed baking sheet. Mix sugar, turmeric and cayenne in small bowl. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and generous amount of spice mixture. Arrange chicken, skin side down, on rack. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours or cover and chill overnight.
Preheat broiler. Broil chicken halves on rack on baking sheet until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and broil until skin is charred, about 5 minutes, or broil chicken parts 1 minute, then turn and broil until skin is charred, about 5 minutes. Remove from broiler.
Set oven temperature at 450 degrees. Roast chicken on rack on same sheet until cooked through, about 25 minutes for halves and 14 minutes for parts.
Transfer chicken halves to board. Cut each into 4 pieces, or cut each chicken breast in half and leave thighs intact. Arrange chicken on platter. Spoon dressing over; sprinkle with cilantro.
Orange saffron rice
This golden rice dish makes a nice side dish for pork.
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- Juice of 2 oranges
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit with the cover still on for another 10 minutes.
- The Associated Press
Lime mojo
This versatile Latin sauce can be used to marinate pork and other meats or to season boiled yuca or potatoes. Sour orange can be used instead of lime juice.
Yield: Makes about 2 3/4 cups
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced seeded jalapeño chilies
- 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
Stir cumin in heavy skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes.
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan until thermometer registers about 175 degrees (do not boil). Remove from heat. Mix in cumin, jalapeño, garlic, salt and pepper, then fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro and vinegar. Cool completely.
-Bon Appetit
