Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Blood Orange Wednesday

Photo lifted from Flickr.

We were lucky that our citrus trees seemed to come through the January freeze that did so much damage elsewhere in California--perhaps one of the advantages of living only 3 miles from the Pacific (you can imagine the others). So that means we're still rich in blood oranges, and even if you try, and we pretty much do, you can't make cocktails out of them all. So we also cook with them, and I thought you might like to know how to make a simple glaze that is wonderful on pork chops, chicken thighs, and pretty much any fish (well, maybe not Stanley or Abe Vigoda). Last night I smeared a frying pan with good virign olive oil and dumped in some chopped shallot till they got a bit soft. Then I added the chicken thighs, salted and peppered and dusted with some fresh thyme. Let them brown, flipped them, cooked the other side (it's about 8 minutes each side), then lacquered them with the blood orange glaze. Put the thighs in the oven for 3 minutes with the carrots that were roasting at 375, took them out, re-applied the last of the glaze, back into the oven for 3 more minutes, and the result was as gorgeous as it was delicious.

Blood Orange Glaze
(coats 2 pork chops or 4 chicken thighs)

2TBS + 1 TBS. butter
2 TBS. shallots minced
3/4 cup fresh blood orange juice, strained
1/8 cup Grand Marnier
1 TBS. fresh thyme chopped
salt & pepper

Melt the 2 TBS. butter over medium low heat in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and let soften. Add the juice, Grand Marnier, thyme, salt & pepper to taste. Turn up the heat and reduce till thickened, stirring frequently to test consistency and avoid sticking. At very end add final TBS. butter.

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5 Comments:

Blogger Mike said...

Appropriate color scheme on those oranges. Being Cupid's day, and all.

I'd shower the oranges, but I've been warned. ;-)

10:31 AM  
Blogger Tom Hilton said...

Beautiful.

Ever watch Dexter? The opening credits have some blood orange action...

9:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think this is the first time George has ever erred in his blog, but alas, he has.

Just last night, I made a Blood Orange Cosmo for my valentine:

2 oz vodka
2 oz Via Italian Blood Orange Soda (from Trader Joe's)
Juice of 1 whole blood orange and one-half lime
Add simple syrup if it isn't sweet enough for ya...

Mix in pitcher filled with ice, strain into chilled glass. *Do not shake or soda will make it explode...
Garnish with thinly sliced rounds of blood orange and lime.

Beautiful color and great taste.

9:41 AM  
Blogger George said...

I never err on my blog, except when I am wrong. But if you really want soda in your cocktail, I don't know what to say. Plus a Cosmo isn't a Cosmo without some Cointreau.

10:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My new favorite cocktail is blood orange juice (freshly squeezed), vodka, a touch of simple syrup, shaken with ice - then strained into a glass, and topped off with a splash of rose champagne. Yum!

9:58 PM  

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