Day Three

Today, I have created the most amazing marmalade in the world.   (It's fine if you consider that statement to be too self-congratulatory, but unless you can provide me a recipe that produces a better marmalade than I have just made, I stand by my original statement.)  It is the result of trying to make marmalade from what was left in the kitchen - I was trying to create something cheaply for the local Village Show.  And as a result, there is now no sugar left anywhere in the house - cue parental annoyance.  Here's the recipe, should you wish to make it yourself (and I highly recommend that you do).

Orange, Clemantine, Rosewater and Cardamon Marmalade 

- Two Navel Oranges
-5 or 6 Tired-looking Clemantines (Enough so that the entire quantity of fruit weighs approximately 750 grams.  "Tired-looking" is optional)
 1100 mls Water
1300 grams Granulated or Preserving Sugar
5 Cardamom Pods
4 Cloves
8 drops Rosewater
Teaspoon of butter
Very large pan - the mixture foams a huge amount during boiling with the sugar. 
A sugar thermometer is optional, but handy.  

Method:  Wash Oranges and Clemantines, particularly if they're not unwaxed, to remove any coatings on the fruit.  Place fruit in a pan, cover with the water, bring to the boil and cook with a lid on the pan for about an hour; fruit should be easily pierceable upon prodding with a fork. Turn off the heat, remove the fruit from the pan and leave to cool until cold enough to handle.  Reserve the liquid in the pan! (Do not pour down the sink). 

When fruit is cool enough to handle, peel the skin away from the fleshy parts, throwing the fleshy parts and pithy bits back into the pan of liquid.  (Keep the peel!).   Add the cardamom pods (whole), cloves and rosewater to the pan of liquid and orange/clementine flesh, bring to boil, and boil for ten minutes (This is to increase the pectin content of the liquid, to aid setting- do not skip this step).  Whilst this is cooking, slice the peels into (neat-ish) strips. 

Once the pan of water/pulp/spices has boiled for ten minutes, place a sieve over a large bowl and drain the contents of the pan into the sieve.  (It's fine to press down on the pulpy stuff in the sieve, so that it drains quicker).  You can now throw away the remaining contents of the sieve. The liquid collected should now be returned to the pan.

Add the sugar and sliced peel to pan of liquid.  Bring to boil, and boil until a blob of the mixture placed on a plate and allowed to cool will form a crinkled skin when pushed back with a finger (i.e "Setting point"). This will take around 15-30 minutes.   Using a jam thermometer is useful as a confirmation that you have reached setting point, but I prefer not to solely rely upon a thermometer.  The mixture starts off as pale, but it will have turned a fairly deep "orange marmalade" colour by the time setting point is achieved - almost as deep as "Frank Coopers thick cut orange marmalade".  This is due to caramelisation of the sugar. 

When setting point has been reached, turn off the heat, and add a teaspoon of butter.  This is to disperse any scum/bubbles that may have accumulated upon the surface of the marmalade.  Now, bottle in sterilised containers.  This should make approximately four 1lb jars (four 370ml jars). 


The next entry in Larousse, "Abattoir" (luckily for me) mentions a "dish of meat, with vegetables and herbs" in the text, and so as a homage to "abattoir", I will be cooking Navarin of Lamb.  As opposed to wandering around an abattoir.