Candied Orange Zest

[afuna]

I have been devouring Top Chef: Just Desserts (no pun intended). And I can't eat what they're making, obviously, but just looking at the images, and listening to the thought processes behind their desserts is very yummy.

After one of the chefs mentioned that they'd made candied... ginger? orange zest? for a challenge, I realized that it is possible to make your own candied zest. I thought that you needed either a.) special equipment or b.) to let it soak for weeks/months. Turns out candied zest can be done in less than an hour. Some recipes mention up to a day, but even that is way better than what I had originally assumed.

Now I am fantasizing about making my own orange zest and coating them with some of the 85% dark chocolate we have at home that I can't stand to eat by itself.


Just finished the first season, and I am really happy about how it ended :-)


Morgan's bullying ways annoyed me so much that I broke my usual habit of avoiding spoilers, and went out of my way to view the ending of the last episode to find out who won. If he'd won, I would have skipped all the remaining episodes -- I think that it's totally uncool how he throws around phrases like "cried like a little girl", "went home like a bitch", and "fairy".

I went into an incandescent rage every time he opened his mouth. Most unpleasant person in the whole competition, somehow even managing to beat out Seth.



I am also enjoying Top Chef: Masters. In comparison to those on regular Top Chef and Top Chef: Just Desserts, the masters are (mostly) so cool and professional *_* The sense of camaraderie has me in love. They take so much pleasure in food and I love watching them work and ooooooh.

I wish that I could either eat their food, or well, cook even half as well as one of them.

This all reminds me that I have not cooked in ages, and I should really get started again >_> (I have been baking though, but even my last baked item was a couple weeks back!)

Comments

[branchandroot]

Oh wow, now I want candied orange and chocolate so much... Yum.

[afuna]

I have a box of chocolate covered orange zest, which is where I got the idea, and I can attest to its being really really good *_*

It's currently running low and we can't get any more, since it's from the USA, which is why I am thinking of making my own :-D

[holyschist]

I used to make candied orange peel every year or two--I did the multiple-scalding-to-remove-bitterness recipe, and it took longer than an hour, but it wasn't so bad to do once a year. The main thing is to be sure it's completely dry before storing it, or it can mold.

SO tasty. It would be awesome covered with chocolate.

[afuna]

Thank you for that tip! I am tempted to try making candied pomelo peel, just because we have two sacks of pomelos *g* Will probably start with orange peel first, as a known good kid of thing.

[holyschist]

All citrus peels candy pretty much the same--the time might vary, but if you go by the peel clarifying, it's really not very sensitive. I did lemons one year, which was how I learned I really hate Meyer lemons. I bet pomelos would work fine!

[afuna]

Ooh, cool thank you :) That sounds promising! *marks off part of her weekend*