With blood oranges in season, Julian decided to bring home several kilos of these ruby globe beauties for casual consumption. The kids, however, were none too keen on them and passed them over for the easy-peelers. And so, a Blood Orange Galette was born, and with it, this very blog you are now reading! First, you should know that Julian and I are not your typical food bloggers. Nor are we two people in need of another hobby. But at some point -- maybe it was the macabre scene of exposed blood-red fruit and dripping knife in hand, or the eureka moment in discovering that blood orange juice makes for a mightily satisfying take on the caipirinha, or the deep satisfaction gained from using all those peels for a three-jar yield of Blood Orange Preserves -- somewhere along the line, the digital camera was fetched, a little phrase from Ulysses jumped out at us, and Ate With Relish emerged as an ongoing testament of our love of eating and feeding.
The recipe for the galette comes courtesy of Smitten Kitchen and its gloriously presented 'Flaky Blood Orange Tart', which we have redubbed (deferring to Martha Stewart's nomenclature) and modified somewhat. As Deb says, it is simple to make and hugely devourable. The galette, in general, is my kind of pastry: fuss-free and elegantly effortless in that viva rustica! sort of way. I adore the freedom and ease of rolling out the dough into a rough amoebic shape, and folding back the edges over a sumptuous sugar-sprinkled fruit center. Much preferable, in my view, to laboring over a traditional tart crust. Note that the galette should ideally be prepared a day in advance, allowing enough time in the freezer to enable the crust to hold its shape in the oven and prevent the butter from melting all at once.
If you're like us and you don't warm to the sound of posteponed gratification, take heart. Add the left-over juices to some cachaça or rum, and combine with sugar, fresh mint, and soda for an immediately satisfying Blood Orange Caipirinha.
And just in case you thought you were done with all that blood orange carnage, spare those peels from the compost heap and treat your family and friends to a jar of homemade Blood Orange Preserves. Here, we've drawn from a recipe in our new cookbook favorite, Turquoise, which we highly recommend. Julian and I tried some this morning with ricotta stuffed crepes, and it was it was sheer delight!
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
The recipe for the galette comes courtesy of Smitten Kitchen and its gloriously presented 'Flaky Blood Orange Tart', which we have redubbed (deferring to Martha Stewart's nomenclature) and modified somewhat. As Deb says, it is simple to make and hugely devourable. The galette, in general, is my kind of pastry: fuss-free and elegantly effortless in that viva rustica! sort of way. I adore the freedom and ease of rolling out the dough into a rough amoebic shape, and folding back the edges over a sumptuous sugar-sprinkled fruit center. Much preferable, in my view, to laboring over a traditional tart crust. Note that the galette should ideally be prepared a day in advance, allowing enough time in the freezer to enable the crust to hold its shape in the oven and prevent the butter from melting all at once.
If you're like us and you don't warm to the sound of posteponed gratification, take heart. Add the left-over juices to some cachaça or rum, and combine with sugar, fresh mint, and soda for an immediately satisfying Blood Orange Caipirinha.
And just in case you thought you were done with all that blood orange carnage, spare those peels from the compost heap and treat your family and friends to a jar of homemade Blood Orange Preserves. Here, we've drawn from a recipe in our new cookbook favorite, Turquoise, which we highly recommend. Julian and I tried some this morning with ricotta stuffed crepes, and it was it was sheer delight!
Blood Orange Galette (slightly adapted from the Smitten Kitchen's Flaky Blood Orange Tart)
Serves 6-8 people.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, the stick cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3 tablespoons ice water
7 to 8 blood oranges
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, the stick cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
3 tablespoons ice water
7 to 8 blood oranges
1 large egg yolk
In a large bowl, mix the two flours with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter and work through it with your hands until the dough resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle the dough with the ice water and mix (using only so much ice water as to achieve a moistened crumb look). Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, knead a couple of times, and shape the pastry into a flattened disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled pastry to a crude 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While the pastry chills, peel the blood oranges, taking care to remove all of the bitter white pith, and saving the peels for another use (see Blood Orange Preserves). Slice the oranges into thin segments, removing the center pith and any seeds or stiff membranes, and place the sections on a tray or plate. Carefully drain the juice from the blood orange slices, and reserve for another use (see Blood Orange Caipirinhas).
Arrange the orange sections concentrically in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar over the oranges. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into thin slices and place atop the oranges. Fold up the edges of the pastry over the oranges, leaving most of the oranges uncovered. Brush the pastry with the egg yolk and sprinkle the top again with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Freeze the tart until solid, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (or 190°C), with the rack positioned in the middle. Bake the galette directly from the freezer for 75 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown, with the fruit bubbling. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto a rack, and allow the galette to cool completely before serving.
1 part cachaça (or substitute with rum)
1 part blood orange juice
2 parts soda water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
fresh mint
crushed ice
Mix all the ingredients, tip back a glass, and watch your troubles fade away.
On a floured work surface, roll out the chilled pastry to a crude 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
While the pastry chills, peel the blood oranges, taking care to remove all of the bitter white pith, and saving the peels for another use (see Blood Orange Preserves). Slice the oranges into thin segments, removing the center pith and any seeds or stiff membranes, and place the sections on a tray or plate. Carefully drain the juice from the blood orange slices, and reserve for another use (see Blood Orange Caipirinhas).
Arrange the orange sections concentrically in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar over the oranges. Cut the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into thin slices and place atop the oranges. Fold up the edges of the pastry over the oranges, leaving most of the oranges uncovered. Brush the pastry with the egg yolk and sprinkle the top again with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Freeze the tart until solid, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (or 190°C), with the rack positioned in the middle. Bake the galette directly from the freezer for 75 minutes. The pastry should be golden brown, with the fruit bubbling. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto a rack, and allow the galette to cool completely before serving.
1 part cachaça (or substitute with rum)
1 part blood orange juice
2 parts soda water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
fresh mint
crushed ice
Mix all the ingredients, tip back a glass, and watch your troubles fade away.
Makes 3 to 4 medium jars.
7 to 8 blood oranges (can substitute with another citrus fruit)
1 pound sugar (or roughly 2 kilograms)
2 cups water
Peel the blood oranges, and reserve the fruit for another use. Slice the peels into thin strips.
Place a medium saucepan of water on the stove to boil. Add the blood orange peel strips to the boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove from the pan and drain. Repeat this process two more times, using a fresh pan of water each time to diminish the bitterness of the peels.
Add the 2 cups of water and the sugar to a large heavy-bottomed pot, and place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. When this mixture begins to simmer, add the blood orange peel strips, turn down the heat slightly, and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the blood orange peel strips are soft, turn off the heat, and ladle the strips while they are still hot into some sterilized jars. Top off each jar with the sugary liquid and seal immediately. Store the blood orange preserves in a cool place, and enjoy for up to one year.
