Clementine Crumpet Baba ~. Vegetarian

                                             

Clementine Crumpet Baba

Ingredients:

4 easy peel clementines

300 grams demerara sugar (1 1/4 cup)

300ml water

1 tablespoon dark rum 

4 crumpets

200ml double cream. (7/8 cup)

Directions:

Scrub 1 clementine, then use a Y peeler to get strips for zest.  Juice 3 or 4 to get 100ml juice (3/8 cup  + 1 tablespoon.)  Set aside.

Tip the 300g sugar in a pan with 300ml water (1 1/4 cup) the pared zest and a pinch of salt.  Set o0ver medium heat and cook stirring often for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to a simmer then remove from heat.  Set aside to cool,, then stir in the rum and clementine juice.  

Toast the crumpets and arrange in a high side dish.  Pour over the cooled syrup to cover, then set aside for 2 hours to soak, turning the crumpets over occasionally.

When ready to serve,, peel 2 clementines.  Using a serrated knife, slice  into thin slices.  

In a large bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.  Divide the crumpets between 4 plates then top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and a few of the clementine slices.  .  Pour over a little of the sugar syrup.  

Any sugar syrup leftover in the dish is delicious in cocktails or as a cordial. 

Broiled Clementines.

                                             

Broiled Clementines

Eat these as a treat, toss them into salads, use them on ice cream.
The wonder of broiled clementines goes on and on. Chop them up and they become a delightful addition to morning yogurt or scattered on pancakes or waffles. Stir them into muffin batter.  Serve them to compliment the richness of roast pork. And know that this method also works beautifully with lemons or Meyer lemons.

Ingredients:

4 Clementines

Directions:Preheat a broiler. Ideally setting a cooking rack about 3 inches below the heating element. Prepare a large baking sheet by either lightly oiling it or lining it with a sheet of parchment.
Working with 1 clementine at a time, cut off and discard the stem end. Then slice the rest of the clementine, discarding the other end piece (or broiling it—your choice!). Remove and discard and seeds. 
Lay the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 clementines.

Broil the sliced clementines until the edges are browned and the juices are bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. The timing with vary greatly between broilers, so keep a close eye on them. Remove the pan and gently turn each clementine slice over. Broil on the second side until those edges are also browned, 3 to 5 minutes. As always with broiling, keep a careful watch so they don’t go from beautifully browned and caramelized to burnt and ruined.
Notes
Let the broiled clementines cool before using. They will keep, covered, for up to 1 day, or covered and chilled up to 3 days.

Roasted Chicken and Clementines

Roasted Chicken & Clementines

Inspiration for the flavors here came from the clementine. Most of the supply comes from Morocco, and the spices here are definitely tagine-ish. The method, though, couldn’t be less exotic. Everything gets assembled in a roasting tin and blasted at high heat for a (relatively) short cook, just long enough to make some aromatic rice to go with it.

Ingredients:

Spice Mixture:

2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin

1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander

1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne

1 tsp (5 mL) paprika

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) finely ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock

1/2 cup (125 mL) clementine juice

8 small shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

6 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise

1 large clove garlic, finely grated

3 clementines, sliced 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick

1/2 cup (125 mL) oil-cured black olives (optional)

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).

Make spice mixture by stirring spices together in a small bowl.

Add chicken to a large bowl, sprinkle spice mixture over and toss until evenly coated; set aside.

To a large, shallow roasting tin, add chicken stock, clementine juice, shallots, dates and garlic. Give everything a stir to break up the garlic, then tuck in chicken thighs, skin side up. Evenly distribute the clementine slices, doing your best to avoid placing over chicken skin (it’s okay if some of the clementine slices overlap each other).

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken skin is crisp. Sprinkle olives over, if using, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving with basmati rice, couscous or mashed potatoes.  Serves 4

 

Christmas Sticky Toffee Pudding

 Christmas Toffee Sticky Pudding 

This is a Christmas pudding for Christmas pudding sceptics.  A twist on a classic style classic sticky toffee sponge, it's flavored with the heady combination of tangy clementines and rich brandy.  Serves 8

75g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

150g (2/3 cup) stoned (pitted) dates, roughly chopped

55ml (3 Tablespoons) brandy

100g ( 1/2 cup) light brown soft sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

11/2 tablespoon clear honey

2 clementines, zest and juice

2 eggs

130g (1 cup) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon mixed baking spice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 dessert apple, peeled, cored, and grated

Double cream or ice cream to serve.

Sauce:

175g (2 cups) golden caster sugar

2 clementines, segmented

100g (1 cup) unsalted butter

50ml (1/4 cup) double cream

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon brandy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 160C (325* F).  Grease a 1 1/2 liter (6 cup) oven proof pudding basin (bowl or mold) and line the base with a circle of parchment paper.  Place the dates, brandy and 175 ml water in a pan and bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring little, until a thick paste has formed; set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, vanilla, honey, and clementine zest, (reserve the juice for the sauce) in a large mixing bowl and beat until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time beating well with each addition until combined.

In another bowl add the flour, baking soda, spices, and a pinch of salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and fold in.  Gently fold in the date puree and grated apple until combined.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pudding basin, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes-1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out almost clean, covering with foil after 30 minutes browning to quickly.  Leave in the basin, on a cooling rack, while you prepare the sauce.

Line a baking sheet tray with parchment paper.  Put the sugar in a frying pan over medium heat.  Heat to dissolve and then bubbling and golden; do not stir.  Take off the heat, swirl in the clementine segments and when completely coated, use a slotted wooden spoon to lift them out onto the prepared baking tray; set aside.  Carefully add the butter, cream, and the reserved clementine juice to the caramel residue in the pan, return to the heat, bring to a simmer and stir together to make a toffee sauce.  Add the salt, and brandy, then take off the heat.

To serve, turn the pudding onto a serving plate.  Spoon over some of the sauce and decorate the top with the caramelized clementine segments.Serve with the remaining sauce and cream or ice cream.

TIP

To top with spun sugar, first lay 2 greased wooden spoons on a sheet of baking parchment.  Make more  caramel by melting 200g caster sugar in a frying pan.  When deep gold, take off the heat, dip in a fork, then take the thread of caramel slowly back and forth over the spoon handles.  When cool, place the spun sugar on top of the pudding. 

Roasted Pear and Clementine Salad

Roasted Pear and Clementine Salad

The beauty of this salad blends tangy Goronzola and balsamic dressing with sweet roasted fruit.

Ingredients:

Clementine-Balsamic Salad Dressing:
3 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 large firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut in 8 wedges each (1 1/2 pounds total)

Salad 

3 medium clementines or oranges, peeled and seperated into segments

4 large heads butterheaad lettuce

1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts or slivered almonds, toasted

3/4 cup crumbled Gorzonzola or other blue cheese or feta cheese (3 ounces)

***

Directions:

In a bowl, mix vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss pear wedges with vinegar mixture, spread out in shallow roasting pan. Roast uncovered in 425 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until pears aaer tender and beginning to brown, turning twice (roast time depends on ripeness of pears.) Remove from oven; cool in pan on wire rack. When cool, lift pears from juices, if present; discard juices.

Prepare dressing and transfer to a medium bowl. Gently stir in Clementine segments. Cover, chill at least 30 minutes.

To serve, remove 16 outer leaves of lettuce; set aside. Cut remaining lettuce into 1/4 inch strips. Arrange leaves on chilled salad plates. Top with shredded lettuce, dressing, pear wedges and nuts. Sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 8 servings

Copied from Midwest Living. This magazine has always provided me with the most reliable but delicious recipes.