Bergamot

[slkinsey]

Make cocktails with the juice. Make bergamotcello with the peels.

[docsconz]

Thanks, Sam, but what about cooking with it?

[emsny]

One of the best things to do with bergamots is make marmelade out of them; this is done in southern Italy, and it is quite remarkable. I wish I could tell you just how to do it in a way that will preserve their extraordinary aroma, but I can't. Great served with foie gras. In fact (since I gather from your comment that you weren't thinking of confectionary), you might try some sort of chutney, which again would be dandy with foie gras. Who supplied these, by the way? I tried to get some a couple of years ago but David Karp had evidently cornered the market.

[slkinsey]

Thanks, Sam, but what about cooking with it?

Well, I'd think you could use it any way you might use either sour orange or lemon juice. You could use it to marinade chicken or pork before roasting, for example. You could use it in a vinaigrette or squeeze it over cooked foods. You could, I suppose, make a bergamot meringue pie.

But, to be honest, most of these uses strike me as ones which will obscure the special taste.

One thought I had was something like pollo alla Francese: pound pieces of chicken breast, veal or pork into thin paillards the approximate size of your palm; dredge in flour, egg, flour, egg, flour and then fry until golden; wipe the pan and add some butter and paper thin slices of bergamot orange; fry until orange slices are soft and lightly caramelized, and reserve; add bergamot juice, white wine and chicken stock to the pan, and bring to a light simmer; mount sauce with butter; add back the meat and bergamot slices and warm through; remove to platter (the bergamot slices will be edible).

[petite tête de chou]

Perhaps a citrus sauce over deep fried/grilled/oven fried fish, such as bass? Smelts? Snapper?

Maybe a spicy, citrus dipping sauce for fried prawns?

[ScorchedPalate]

Make cocktails with the juice.  Make bergamotcello with the peels.

←

How funny, I just spent the last hour doing exactly, precisely that. I'm sitting here sipping my Friday After Five, taking a break from portioning out juice into an ice-cube tray.

~A

<edited for a cocktail-induced typo>

Edited January 16, 2005 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[docsconz]

I peeled and ate one earlier. The scent is wonderful and permeated the kitchen and my hands. It was worth buying them for that alone. I roasted some of the peels along with a lamb shank to no discernible effect. I actually have some bergamot marmalade from Sicily. It is wonderful. In fact that is what inspired me to get them (from Rising C Ranch ) in the first place.

[SobaAddict70]

Use them as sour oranges or lemons, or in pork dishes.

Infuse the peels in some tea, and use the tea as poaching liquid for prunes. You can add some mulled wine to the mix.

Soba

[slkinsey]

I peeled and ate one earlier. The scent is wonderful and permeated the kitchen and my hands. It was worth buying them for that alone. I roasted some of the peels along with a lamb shank to no discernible effect. I actually have some bergamot marmalade from Sicily. It is wonderful. In fact that is what inspired me to get them (from Rising C Ranch ) in the first place.

They sell bergamots? I don't see them listed on their web site. What are their prices for bergamots?

[docsconz]

I peeled and ate one earlier. The scent is wonderful and permeated the kitchen and my hands. It was worth buying them for that alone. I roasted some of the peels along with a lamb shank to no discernible effect. I actually have some bergamot marmalade from Sicily. It is wonderful. In fact that is what inspired me to get them (from Rising C Ranch ) in the first place.

They sell bergamots? I don't see them listed on their web site. What are their prices for bergamots?

←

They only have a limited supply. I believe all i could get was two pounds. Figuring in the direct cost of the fruit and the cost of shipping they are pretty expensive, although I don't have the actual cost handy.

[tanabutler]

Add the peels to a canister of sugar, to infuse it with the scent.

Oh, how I love the fragrance of bergamot: I have Earl Grey tea every single morning of my life.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Here's a question for you oh-so-wonderful and knowledgable eGulleteers.

I have a quantity of Bergamot oranges, which I would like to incorporate into my next batch of marmelade. Does anybody have any idea at what point they'll overwhelm the flavour of my Seville oranges? I've got about a dozen really nice, big Sevilles, and about 20 small Bergamots (they're about the size of Key limes).

Alternately, does anybody have any suggestion as to what else to do with Bergamots (besides make orange pie with them, of course)? Ideally I'd like to preserve them in some fashion....

[Lisa Shock]

Peels could be used for orangecello. And, candied, for use in baking.

[Katie Meadow]

I often put the juice and very finely cut peel of 1 large Bergamot into a batch of seville orange marmalade. One batch for me is about 3-4 lbs oranges and yields approx 5 8-oz jars of finished product. Do you plan on only one batch? Y0u could see how it tastes with a modest quantity and then if you want more bergamot flavor try a second batch with a bit more. It's a potent flavor and if you end up with bergamot marmalade there may be a very select following only.

Try a twist of bergamot peel in a martini, although that won't use up a lot of fruit.

[TeakettleSlim]

Saving the Season had a recipe for an all-bergamot marmalade recently. A lot of water is used to keep the flavor under control.

http://www.savingtheseason.com/journal/bergamot-marmalade.html

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Well, I've got a batch that's 15 large Sevilles to 20 small Bergamots on to soak at the moment. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

And in other news, it looks like I'll be able to experiment quite a bit with Bergamots - my friend just called me, and he's got about 100 lbs of them for me: his plantation has overproduced, and since he's growing the plants for their leaves (he's an essential oil producer) they're free.

[Kerry Beal]

Well, I've got a batch that's 15 large Sevilles to 20 small Bergamots on to soak at the moment. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

And in other news, it looks like I'll be able to experiment quite a bit with Bergamots - my friend just called me, and he's got about 100 lbs of them for me: his plantation has overproduced, and since he's growing the plants for their leaves (he's an essential oil producer) they're free.

Bonus!

I've got purchased candied bergamot in the fridge - use the peel chopped up in an white chocolate truffle center. The combination of bergamot and black pepper with white chocolate is amazingly good.

So if I had them - I'd try candying.

[jrshaul]

Where can I get these? I'd love to put some in liqueurs.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Where are you, jrshaul? I'm in Ecuador, and have a friend with trees, so supply isn't an issue for me. If you're in the US, I'd start looking at the high-end food shops. If you're in California, contact the California Rare Fruit Growers' Society - they'll know.

[jrshaul]

Where are you, jrshaul? I'm in Ecuador, and have a friend with trees, so supply isn't an issue for me. If you're in the US, I'd start looking at the high-end food shops. If you're in California, contact the California Rare Fruit Growers' Society - they'll know.

I'm in Wisconsin, so I'm likely out of luck.

[Katie Meadow]

You can order them from Pearson Ranch in CA if you can't find them now in any markets. Now is the time. I think they sell 10 lbs for $26.