Thinly slicing the raw fruit helps make the marmalade faster, and even more wonderfully fragrant. I start with this new version and then you will find the more traditional way. In both recipes I opt for less sugar as I love the tartness of citrus marmalade. If you prefer it sweeter you can increase the amount of sugar. 

You can make the same marmalade using Mayo lemons, varying the amount of sugar you add, and also maybe cooking less time the lemon slices, as they are definitely more tender that the Seville oranges. 

I often add some julienned tangerine, orange, and/or kumquat peels together with the sliced lemon or Seville orange to make a mixed citrus marmalade.

Makes about a dozen  8-ounce jars

4 pounds small Seville oranges (about 25), washed 

2 cups water

3-4 pounds sugar, or more to taste

Lay a wet, double cheesecloth in a bowl.

Using a very sharp, or a good serrated knife cut off and discard the ends of the fruit, then halve each Seville orange and remove the core, making sure you carefully take out all the pips.

Drop the pips and core into the cheesecloth.

Carefully slice each fruit VERY thinly, and drop the slices in a large, heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot. This is the most important part of the job, and it will take some time…I spent about 1h 15 minutes slicing my small Seville oranges.

Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the peels are very soft. Add 3 pounds sugar and the cheesecloth with the pips etc. to the pot and cook stirring every now and then until the sugar dissolves. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and let the marmalade cook overnight.   

The next morning the marmalade will look jelly. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, pressing and turning the cheesecloth to get the pectin out. Taste and add more sugar, one cup at the time, stirring to dissolve it, and tasting to see if you need more.

When it begins to look syrupy, place a teaspoonful on a cold plate. Let cool, and push with your finger. If it wrinkles, the marmalade is done. (see the photos below).

Pour into hot, sterilized jars, cover and let cool and seal as described below, in the traditional English recipe.

The traditional ENGLISH-inspired Marmalade

Makes about SEVEN 8-ounce jars

10-12 organic Lemons OR 4-5 lemons and 5-6 Seville Oranges

1 1/2 – 2 kg (3-4 pounds) sugar (to taste)

1.5 liters (quarts) water

Simmer whole fruits in water until soft. Place a plate over the fruits to keep them immersed, and pierce them after about 15 minutes, to encourage cooking.

Transfer the fruit to a colander over a bowl, and leave to cool a bit.

Dissolve the sugar in the cooking water.

Halve the soft fruit, scrape out the seeds and pulp and place in cheesecloth or jelly bag. Tie with cotton string and hang over the side of the pan.

Slice or chop the lemon (and Seville orange) peel thinly. Stir the peel into the liquid.

Bring to simmer, stirring to ensure that the sugar is dissolved, then boil hard, stirring occasionally, until setting point is reached. It may take from 5 -20 minutes, more likely around 15.

When it begins to look syrupy, place a teaspoonful on a cold plate. Let cool, and push with your finger. If it wrinkles, the marmalade is done. Pour into hot, sterilized jars, cover and cool.

Although the marmalade looks runny as you fill the jars, it solidifies when cold.

The post Seville Orange or Lemon Marmalade appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

I liked the idea of adding warm spices, but increased the number of other fruits –oranges, apples, and particularly lemons—which beautifully complement the carrots’ one-dimensional sweetness. Also, I didn’t over-process the fruit to get a very smooth jam, as the recipe suggests.

My carrot jam is somewhat tart, much closer to my most favorite citrus-fruit marmalades. But you can add more honey or sugar to make it sweeter, as most people probably would prefer it…

Serve with creamy, thick yogurt, with fresh cheese –like myzithra or ricotta– or with the very creamy manouri cheese. I also like to spread it on slices of my Orange, Lemon or Tangerine Olive-oil Cake. 

At Molly’s Rise and Shine in New Orleans their very smooth carrot jam is served with granola and yogurt, topped with orange segments and blackberries.

PHOTO from the restaurant’s FaceBook page.

Makes about 2.2 quarts (liters)

2 pounds carrots (1 kilo) cut into 2.5-inch pieces, then each piece halved lengthwise; depending on the carrot’s thickness, each carrot half cut lengthwise into 2-3 sticks

2 medium-size Granny Smith apples (about 2/3 pound, 350 grams), cored, and cut into long chunks

3 oranges halved, pitted, and cut into thin slices

4 lemons halved, pitted, and  cut into thin slices

2 cups orange juice

1 cup water or more, as needed

1 cup granulated sugar, or more as needed (to taste) 

Pinch of salt

SPICES –tied in a piece of cheesecloth

5 cardamom pods, lightly smashed

4 whole star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

½ cup honey or more, as needed

1/4 cup lemon juice

Full fat, thick yogurt, myzithra (ricotta-like cheese), or creamy manouri for serving (optional)

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan place the carrots, apples, oranges, lemons and add the sugar, the orange juice, and the water, as well as the spices in the cheesecloth, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring occasionally.

Cover with a piece of parchment paper and a lid, lower the heat to medium-low and cook; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender, about 40 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very tender, and the liquid has reduced to a thin, syrupy consistency, 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and transfer the carrot mixture to a food processor or blender. Mash to get a somewhat coarse mixture. Alternatively, you can mash the carrot and fruit in the pot with a stick blender.

 Transfer the mashed carrots etc. back to the pot, add the honey and lemon, and cook another 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste and add more honey or sugar if you want –I prefer this jam on the sour side, as all my marmalades.  

Discard the spices and transfer the jam to clean, warm jars. Fill almost to the top, close the lids, and let the jars cool and seal. Keep in a cool place or in the refrigerator. As this jam has little sugar it may spoil sooner than most other fruit preserves and jams.  

If you like, spoon yogurt into bowls, and top with dollops of spicy carrot jam.

The post Spicy Carrot Jam with Oranges, Apples, and Lemons appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

“Fluffy, eggy, buttery, sweet, coiled like a snail’s shell, and generously dusted with powdered sugar, the pan de Mallorca is named for its land of origin, in Spain. They are delicious on their own, or split and turned into sweet-and-savory ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches,” the magazine’s introduction explained.

The dough is very similar to challah and the traditional Greek tsoureki,  –the sweet brioche-like festive breads we bake for Christmas and Easter. In my version I substituted light olive oil for the butter, and used whole eggs, instead of just egg yolks, then I decided to brush the dough rectangle with my Seville orange marmalade before rolling and cutting the buns. I also placed them one roll next to the other, like cinnamon rolls, and I wish I had managed to make all the buns roughly the same size…

(Photo from Saveur magazine) 

Makes 6 large buns           

1 package instant active dry yeast

½ cup whole milk, slightly warm

1/3 cup light olive oil (or unsalted butter, melted)

3 medium eggs

3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Fine zest of 1 large orange

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup citrus marmalade

3 tablespoons ground almonds

OR

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

In the bowl of a standing mixer add the yeast and the milk, and whisk for 3-4 minutes, adding the olive oil and the eggs, until you get a smooth mixture.

In a separate bowl add the flour, orange zest, salt, and sugar, and toss to mix.

Change the whisk, fitting the mixer with the dough hook and with the motor running at low speed gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, and work the mixture for about 5-6 minutes, until you get a wet, sticky dough.

Oil a medium bowl and transfer the dough in it; cover with oiled film and let rise for about 1 ½ hours, until doubled.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle about 16-by-8-inches (40 X 20 cm.).

Brush the surface of the dough evenly with the marmalade and sprinkle with the ground almonds.  Starting at one of the short ends, roll the rectangle up into a tight cylinder. Slice the cylinder crosswise into 6 equal pieces, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet, placing one roll next to the other.

Alternatively, you can brush the dough rectangle with the butter and roll, then cut into 6 pieces, and place on the baking sheet spacing them at least 3 inches apart.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside until puffed and nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 370°F (180 C) with a rack in the center. Uncover the buns and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then, if you did not use the marmalade, dust the buns generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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