Italian Orange Slices Food

ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the caramel:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly butter the cake pan. Slice the oranges as thinly as you can (about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick), preferably using a mandoline and picking out seeds as you go; set aside.
• Make sure you have all the ingredients for the caramel ready to go before you begin cooking it. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and 6 tablespoons water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture turns a medium-dark amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and carefully stir in the butter and salt until incorporated. Pour the caramel into the buttered cake pan.
• Starting in the center of the pan, layer the orange slices on top of the caramel, overlapping a bit and working your way toward the outer edge (you may not need to use all the orange slices). Set pan aside.
• Make the cake:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then blend in the vanilla and orange zest.
• Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beating just to combine. Spoon the batter in dollops over the oranges in the cake pan, being careful not to move them around too much. Smooth the top of the batter with a wet offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• With an offset spatula or a butter knife, loosen any parts of the cake that seem to be sticking to the side of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate or platter while it's still hot. Let cool until warm or room temperature, then cut into wedges with a serrated knife to serve.

OVEN-DRIED ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat. Top with orange slices in a single layer, and generously dust with sugar. Bake until the peels are dry and the flesh is translucent, about 2 1/2 hours.

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, cut the orange part of the peel from the stem end of the orange down to the navel end, forming long 3/4 to 1-inch-wide strips. Bring a heavy small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the peels and cook for 1 minute. Drain and then rinse the peels under cold water. Repeat cooking the peels in the saucepan with fresh boiling water and rinsing under cold water.
• Stir the sugar and 1/2 cup of fresh water in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Add the orange peels and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the peels to a sheet of parchment paper to dry slightly, about 1 hour.
• Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the chocolate in a small bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Dip 1 1/2-inches of each candied orange peel into the chocolate then place them on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 15 minutes.

ITALIAN ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• Slice orange in half, top to bottom. Then slice each half into 1/4 inch thick slices, leaving rind on. Discard any slices that have more rind than fruit.
• Arrange slices around the perimeter of a serving dish, slightly overlapping. Alternatively, you can arrange slices on individual serving dishes (luncheon sized), using one orange per dish.
• Lightly drizzle orange slices with olive oil, and then lightly sprinkle with the ground black pepper.
• Serve immediately.
• Note: do not allow the olive oil to soak into oranges. The olive oil is meant to be a subtle flavor in the dish, and not the main flavor. Do not put the olive oil on the dish more than one minute before serving. Most of the oil should be left behind on the dish after eating.

FRESH ORANGE SLICES WITH HONEY AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges.
• Thinly slice oranges into rounds.
• Arrange orange slices in shallow bowl.
• Combine honey, cinnamon stick, and orange flower water in heavy small saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until mixture comes to simmer, about 2 minutes.
• Pour hot syrup over oranges.
• Cool.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Sprinkle almonds over oranges.
• Serve cold or at room temperature, with a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream on the side, if desired.
• *A flavoring extract available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods section of some supermarkets.

CANDIED ORANGE

Steps:

• Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.
• Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.
• Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

FRESH ORANGE SLICES WITH HONEY AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Thinly slice oranges into rounds. Arrange orange slices in shallow bowl. Combine honey, cinnamon stick, and orange flower water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until mixture comes to simmer, about 2 minutes. Pour hot syrup over oranges. Cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Sprinkle almonds over oranges. Serve cold or at room temperature.
• A flavoring extract available at liquor stores and in the liquor or specialty foods section of some supermarkets.