I found this recipe in a box next to my desk when a friend was asking me about french toast, which I love. So much so that another friend nicknamed me “french toast” after I was craving it post happy hour. I’m digitizing this recipe so it can be shared with the world and live on the Web forever, just in case I lose this scrap of paper.
Fresh Citrus CompoteThy Tran
Executive Chef, CUESAServe this jeweled fruit compote over ginger ice cream, lemon pound cake or rich, buttery french toast. Try it also with other fruit, such as slightly warmed apples or just ripe peaches, or enliven the mixture by increasing the ratio of liqueur to juice.
5 to 6 navel or blood oranges
1/4 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half, or two sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 cup orange liqueur or fresh orange juice
2 red grapefruit
4 to 6 mandarin oranges
Mint leaves, optional for garnish
- With one of the oranges, peel wide strips of zest and squeeze fresh juice. Combine the juice and zest with the honey, cinnamon stick, and liqueur or juice. Stir to blend well and set aside.
- To prepare the citrus segments: Peel the remaining oranges and the grapefruit with a small knife, removing all the white pith. Holding the fruit over a bowl, cut and scrape away the segments from their surrounding membranes. Squeeze the membranes to remove as much juice as possible.
- Add the citrus segments to the reserved juice and stir gently. Macerate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
My notes:
- Mandarin orange varieties are sometimes marketed as tangerines or clementines in the grocery store.
- If one does not have a citrus zester or a microplane, use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of zest off the orange. Then use a knife to cut the strips into narrow strips as necessary. (Tip courtesy of Jacques Pepin.)
- I don’t think they do analogies on the SAT anymore, but
macerate : fruit :: marinate : meat.
Below is a photo of Thy Tran, the chef in action, actually making the french toast that this compote accompanied.
