Crystallized Orange Peel
A wonderful garnish for anything chocolate! Be sure to use organic oranges with smooth, brightly-colored rinds. Because the peels are so thinly cut, and used in small quantities as a garnish, they are not blanched to remove bitterness.
Ingredients
Crystallizing the Peel
Use a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of orange rind. Avoid removing the white inner rind, and keep the pieces of peel as long as possible.
Thinly julienne the peel into strips 1/6-1/8 inch wide.
In a small, heavy saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup water and the cream of tartar to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add the julienned peel to the sugar syrup. Poach for 10 minutes.
Remove peel from the syrup, and allow it to drain for 1-2 minutes (a mesh sieve is good for this).
Put the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into a quart container with a secure lid. Separate the shreds of peel and drop them into the sugar a few at a time, stirring or rolling them in the sugar to cover. After all the peel is in, cover the container and shake briskly to cover every little bit of the peel with sugar crystals.
Shake the container a few times a day for the next few days, to make sure the peels are completely coated with sugar.
Storage
The crystallized shards of peel will keep for months at room temperature. They start out fairly soft, but will eventually get quite firm, if they last long enough. Store in an airtight container to prevent humidity from making them sticky. If they start getting sticky, sprinkle a little more sugar into the container and shake!
