Oranges... bitter and sweet in cocktails

[Tri2Cook]

For the first time since I've lived in this area, the local grocery store has blood oranges and seville oranges in stock. Anything interesting to do with them that would make grabbing some a good idea? Actually I grabbed a few blood oranges and a pomelo today but I'm thinking about going back tomorrow to grab some of the sevilles and more bloods.

[OliverB]

I just got some blood ones myself, and was wondering the same. Aside of just eating them, what interesting things require a blood orange? Or a bitter orange? I have not see those for sale, but plan to plan ta tree next spring after a remodel.

Of course you can make the fantastic orange marmalade with the Seville, forget it's name, but the one with all the orange peel in it, just about the only marmalade I actually like. Oh, that and a kumquat my MIL makes.

[djyee100]

I notice that this board is under Spirits & Cocktails, and as far as oranges go, I can't help you there. But about those oranges in general...

I suggest you grab more of those blood oranges. They are a spectacular fruit for both sweet and savory dishes, with a sweet, subtle flavor and an eye-catching raspberry color. They're memorable in a sorbet. I recently ate a salad of blood oranges, thinly sliced fennel, red onion, and olives--a Mediterranean classic--and I can recommend that. Blood oranges can probably be substituted for naval oranges in most dishes.

This salad: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/fennel-orange-salad.aspx

The seville oranges are best for marmalade. I've never tried one (that I remember). Someone I knew had access to an orchard of them, and she made a face when she mentioned how they tasted fresh. Not an eating orange, as far as I know.

[Tri2Cook]

Yep, there are a lot of really nice uses for both out there. I've done some things I was really happy with using them (in the past, before I moved here, and with frozen puree since moving here). I was leaning more in the direction of things in the spirits and cocktails world with this thread though. I suppose the easiest way to go with the blood oranges is to simply slip them in where regular OJ is used.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Tri2Cook (log)

[Kent Wang]

I find a lot of cocktails that call for orange juice, like the monkey gland, can be improved immensely with blood orange. Regular orange juice I find too watery but blood has so much more flavor. I would also make a freeze-reduced syrup with it to preserve it as it's hard to get it out of season.

You can use the zest for an infusion. I don't know if bloods have more zesty zest, but I think the bergamot is the most famous one for that.

[Will]

I came up with this one a little while back: http://www.runawaysquirrels.com/2010/02/cocktail-catcher-in-the-rye/

A whisky sour will work pretty well too.

Either way, you may have to experiment with the amount of sweetener used, since the sourness of Sevilles can vary quite a bit. You can freeze the juice in ice cube blocks to use when they're out of season.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Will (log)

[Pierogi]

I remember several years ago watching a Nigella Lawson holiday special and she had a Christmas drink with blood orange juice and Campari. Can't remember the other ingredients off the top of my head. I think she called it a "Christmas Seabreeze" or a "Blood Orange Seabreeze" or something similar.

I *do* remember it sounded good.

[BennyAdeline]

I made an eastern sour out of blood orange and it was terrible. Something just did not click. For my orange drinks I hit up the farmers market and try one of each variety. I try to use sweeter one for my tiki drinks (if it's summer) and more interesting and bold oranges for my classics. If i find a weird or strange one, I go amakase with it.

[Mark Muller]

Seville oranges, as well as any other sour oranges I have had, are fantastic in cocktails. I use them all the time when I can get them. As the juice is sour, not sweet, I use them in place of lemon or lime juice. They are usually less tart and/or more watery then lemons or limes, so you have to adjust either the amount of juice, the amount of sugar, or both. The juice is superb in a daiquiri variation, a margarita variation, or with just gin and sugar.

[Yojimbo]

I recently had a blood orange margarita at a local restaurant, and it reminded me that you have to be very careful when squeezing blood oranges -- the skin has a very oily, resinous flavor that does not add to the drink -- kinda like meyer lemons, to my taste at least. The oily, pithy flavor kept the drink from being truly enjoyable, despite the quality ingredients. I wouldn't use blood orange zest without testing carefully first.

What I wish I could find more of are calamondins or kalamansis, the cross between bitter orange and kumquat. It makes a great indoor tree, so I get a dozen or so fruits from mine, but seeing as they act rather like fresh squeezed orange bitters in a drink, and the skin oils play well with the juice, it'd be nice to have more and see what you could do with them. Old Tom gin, or mezcal, or . . . .

[thirtyoneknots]

A friend of mine has a calomondin tree that gives dozens and dozens of fruit per year, he used to bring them in periodically and request drinks with them. I found the muskiness rather challenging but your orange bitters comparison shows an angle I don't think I ever considered. I made a few things I wasn't ashamed of with them but in general I didn't think much of their cocktail potential at the time, fully realizing then as now this has more to do with my own limited imagination than anything.