Candied Orange Peel or Candied Ginger
During the winter months, when citrus is in season, I find myself eating a lot of oranges. I also find myself with a lot of orange peels. I dry some and powder them up for use in baking and cooking. Another fun use for orange peels is to turn them into a candy.
Candied orange peels are pretty easy to make and a nifty way of turning something that might otherwise be discarded into something tasty. You can also candy other citrus peel this way like grapefruit and lemons. The same process can be used to make candied ginger.
Once finished, the candied peels can also be dipped in dark chocolate for a special treat.
They make a nice gift, too.
Candied Orange Peel
2 large oranges ( you can also use 1 grapefruit or 3 lemons)
or 1 lb. of ginger root*
¾ c. water
¾ c. sugar, plus extra for rolling
3 T. light corn syrup, optional
Remove peel from fruit using a sharp knife. Try to get the peel off in 4 pieces. Cut the peel into ¼-inch wide strips. Place peel in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat process 2 more times. Return to pan with fresh water and boil 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Bring ¾ c. water and ¾ c. sugar to boil in sauce pan with the corn syrup. Boil 2-3 minutes and then add the peel. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all but a spoonful of the syrup is left. This should take about 10 minutes. On a wax-paper lined baking sheet sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and arrange the peels on top of the sugar. Toss the peels around until cooled adding more sugar if needed. Place peels on a drying rack for 24 hours before storing. Once dried you can also dip one end of the peels in dark chocolate. Makes ½ pound.
* If making the candied ginger root, peel and cut into 1/4- inch slices. Then cut the slices into 1/4-inch thick strips
Duck with Pear Ginger Sauce
Duck with Pear Ginger Sauce
I love the way duck tastes when served with pears. Duck, with its dark, rich meat really works well with all sorts of fruit. I’ve made sauces and glazes for duck from cherries, prunes, mangoes, peaches and of course, oranges. Since I had several very ripe pears and a duck I was roasting I thought I’d try them together. Oh yum!!
I made a simple sauce out of the pears. I peeled them and diced them and put them in a small saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, about 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, some salt and pepper and a healthy splash of hot sauce. It needed something so I added about a teaspoon and half of grated ginger. That was the missing ingredient. It gave the sauce a nice bite. I simmered the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking. The pears were just starting to fall apart. When the duck was ready to serve I warmed up the sauce and spooned some on the plate.
To roast the duck: Let me say this was a locally grown duck so not as fatty as ducks I get at the grocery store. For the very fatty ducks you need to score the skin and trim off extra fat. If you don’t the skin won’t get crispy and isn’t very appetizing. Still, I wanted a nice high heat to crisp up the skin. I placed it on a rack in a roasting pan. I did cut up an onion and a small orange and placed them in the cavity. Sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and placed the duck in a preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then I turned the heat down to 425 until the duck was done. In this case, it was a smallish duck and cooked in about 65 minutes. It is OK if the duck meat is a little pink. Kind of preferred a little pink by most, but cook it to your own comfort level. Let duck rest 10-15 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.
Right out of the oven
Roscoe Village Gingerbread Cookies
Roscoe Village Gingerbread Cookies
I cannot remember where I first got this recipe. It is a great cookie for the holidays. This richly spiced cookie is perfect with a cup of coffee after dinner. While you can use either dried or fresh grated ginger I really prefer fresh. I keep a piece of ginger root in my freezer and then just grate what I want whenever needed. The ginger lasts nearly forever that way. The original recipe calls for shortening. If you prefer to not use it you can substitute coconut oil or butter. However, if you use butter, chill the cookies at least an hour before baking.
Roscoe Village Gingerbread Cookies
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
¾ t. ginger (fresh grated preferred)
½ t. cloves
¼ t. salt
1 c. sugar, plus extra for rolling
¾ c. shortening- I use butter but chill the dough 60 minutes
¼ c. molasses
1 egg
Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together sugar with shortening, molasses and egg until light. Stir in dry ingredients and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Edges should look dry. Cool on sheet for a few minutes and then move to rack. Makes about 36
