Tangerine dream
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday July 18, 2009
Mandarins evoke bitter-sweet memories of the past. WHENEVER I taste my first mandarin of the season, I'm transported back to my primary school playground and the sting of the fruit's oil in my eyes. As children, we would take a piece of mandarin peel and squeeze it together so that a jet of volatile concentrate squirted into the eyes of an unsuspecting boy.Mandarins arrived relatively late in the West, after the lemon and orange probably once maritime trade between Asia and Europe was well established, in late medieval times. The Willowleaf mandarin, which eventually dominated plantings in the Mediterranean, did not emerge from China until after 1805.Today there is a confusing array of names for the many varieties of mandarins. In The Complete Book Of Fruit, Leslie Johns and Violet Stevenson write: "There appears to be no fundamental difference between tangerines and mandarins. Generally speaking, the term Tangerine is applied to varieties which produce deep orange or scarlet fruits. Mandarin is the older name. Clementine, another variety, is also known as the Algerian Tangerine. King Orange and Satsuma are also names originally given to varieties which have become accepted." My favourites are the clementines. smanfredi@smh.com.auMandarin puddings250g unsalted butter1 1/2 cups sugar1 tsp vanilla essence4 eggs2 cups plain fl our2 1/2 tsp baking powderPinch salt3/4 cup milkZest of 2 lemons, finely grated200g additional sugar400ml fresh mandarin juiceFresh mandarin and cream to servePreheat oven to 180C. Cream butter with sugar. Add vanilla, two whole eggs and two yolks, reserving two whites. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, adding to mixture. Mix in milk and zest. Whisk remaining two egg whites to soft peaks and fold into mixture.Butter and sugar eight moulds (dariole or small ring type) and almost fill them with mixture. Place them in baking dish and add water so it comes at least halfway up each mould. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes. When a skewer inserted into one of the puddings comes out clean, they are cooked.Place 200g of sugar in saucepan and bring to a light caramel. Carefully add mandarin juice and boil for five minutes. Once out of the oven and still hot, prick surface of puddings and pour some of the syrup into each one. Allow to cool a little then turn out and serve with a slice of fresh mandarin and cream. Add a little more syrup if needed.Serves 8Grilled zucchini with mandarin and mintThis dish has been adapted from a recipe by Italian-American chef Marc Vetri. Serve with grilled fish, roast chicken, quail or duck.350g zucchini6 tbsp extra virgin olive oilSaltFreshly ground pepper1/4 cup red-wine vinegar2 tbsp honey3 tbsp chopped fresh mint2 mandarins, peeled and segmentedCut zucchini into 1.5-cm rounds.Toss in bowl with two tbsp of oil until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Grill about two minutes on each side.Transfer to platter. In same bowl, whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, honey and mint. Stir in mandarin segments and pour over zucchini. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.Serves 4
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