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The name may be a little off-putting. The orange
exterior, streaked or mottled with vermilion and/or brownish purple, may
bring to mind a nasty bruise rather than something good to eat. However,
the first sight and taste of blood oranges’ flesh reveal why they are
so sought after. Blood oranges aren’t new, though they’ve
only been grown commercially in the U.S. (Texas and California) for the
last decade or so. They’re most commonly found in the Mediterranean,
especially in Sicily and Spain, where they’ve been cultivated for
centuries, although they originated in Asia. Blood oranges are seasonal,
available from November through May; however, I’ve found that they
usually don’t make their appearance in local stores until December or
January. There are three varieties. The Moro, which has the
darkest exterior and flesh, is the one most commonly found in local stores.
It’s somewhat more tart than the other two. A display of these blood
oranges will feature some that are almost all dark — a
purplish-black/orange, some mottled and streaked with dark color, and some
that look little different than regular oranges in the next bin. The
insides vary similarly, and I’ve discovered that the darker the
outside peel, the darker the interior flesh. The Tarocco variety hails from Sicily. It’s
sometimes called a “half-blood” because its orange flesh is
only lightly streaked with red. Legend has it that the Tarocco got its name
from an expression of wonder by the farmer who discovered it. It has the
highest vitamin C content of any orange, most likely because it is largely
grown in the rich volcanic soil around Mount Etna. According to
exotic-fruit expert David Karp in a recent NPR interview, they are
“considered absolutely the finest eating oranges that there are in
the Mediterranean.” Taroccos have been available in local stores this
year, wrapped in paper labeled “Bella Vita.”
Both the Moro and the Tarocco originated from the
Spanish Sanguinello (the Spanish word for “blood” is sangre). Its orange flesh is
shot through with blood-colored streaks. Blood oranges can have a dramatic impact on the plate
or in a juice glass, especially to anyone encountering them for the first
time. Karp related the story of a woman in California in the ’80s who
called police to her home. She was convinced that her neighbor was
injecting blood or poison into oranges of the Valencia orange tree
she’d had for many years. The police were completely mystified and
took the fruit to the University of California/Riverside’s Citrus
Variety Collection. Experts there finally determined that the tree had had
a “recapitulation,” a kind of mutation that had recapitulated
— that is, reenacted — the birth of the blood orange in China
thousands of years earlier. The red coloration is a result of the presence of
anthocyanins, pigmentation compounds that are responsible for the red
coloration in apples, cherries, and many other fruits and vegetables but
are rare in citrus fruits. Common oranges have only one of two genes
necessary to create the red pigmentation, but blood oranges have both.
Anthocyanins are antioxidants and as such give blood oranges extra
nutritional value. And the taste? The first mention of blood oranges in
Western literature was in a 1646 Latin text published in Italy. It
described the flavor as grapelike. It’s also been called berrylike,
but neither seems right to me. The flavor is definitely in the orange
family but distinctive in the same way that tangerines taste orangey yet
unique. Most blood oranges I’ve seen haven’t
really looked like blood — at least not fresh blood. A glass of Moro
juice is usually a dark salmon color, similar to that holiday specialty
cranberry-orange juice. Blood oranges can be eaten out of hand, used in
preparations from salads and entrées to desserts, or used as a
colorful and unusual garnish. The juice is wonderful and makes an
especially delicious and beautiful mimosa (Champagne and orange juice). The accompanying recipe originally appeared in Bon Appétit as a
glaze for a rather elaborate tart. The tart itself was OK: good but not
something I’d make again. The caramel sauce was fantastic by itself,
however, with the tart/sweet juice and peel marrying perfectly with the
caramelized sugar. It’s something for which I’ve found multiple
uses, and it has become a pantry staple. I make at least a quart when blood
oranges are in season; it keeps for months in the refrigerator. It’s a thin syrup, unlike caramel made with
milk or cream. I use it drizzled over ice cream or pound cake; as a glaze
or sauce component for grilled chicken, pork chops, or salmon; or to make
the vinaigrette below, which has become my family’s favorite
spinach-salad dressing. The vinaigrette is also good in other salads or
drizzled over asparagus.
Send questions and comments to Julianne Glatz at
realcuisine@insightbb.com.
Blood-Orange Caramel Sauce
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit, January 2002 1 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh
blood-orange juice
1 tablespoon grated blood-orange peel (be careful to
just grate the peel without any of the bitter white pith)
Combine sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan.
Swirl the pan without stirring over medium-low heat until the sugar
dissolves. Increase heat to medium high and boil, still without stirring,
until the sugar takes on a deep amber color, occasionally swirling the pan,
about eight minutes. Carefully add the juice and peel (mixture will bubble
vigorously). Reduce the heat to low and stir until the sauce is smooth and
any caramel bits dissolve. I like the bits of candied
peel in the sauce, but strain it if you want it completely smooth. Cool
completely and refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.
Blood-Orange Caramel Vinaigrette
1/4 cups blood orange caramel 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, not balsamic, or more or less to taste (sherry vinegar,
available locally at Incredibly Delicious, is preferred) 1 teaspoon minced shallot or onion or 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, optional 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
Whisk all ingredients together. Makes about 2/3 cup.
This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2007.
