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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 3 Issue 079 - October 17, 2002 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Un/Subscribe: http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, I love tangerines. My In-laws are from Arizona and they bring me a box of fresh tangerines from the tree in their yard every year. What we don't eat right away gets juiced and frozen into ice cube trays for use throughout the year. Whenever I have a recipe that calls for fresh orange juice out come the Tangerine cubes. I love the rich orange color and the intense flavor. Why am I rambling on about tangerines? Because Terri Pischoff Wuerthner, CCP has chosen this wonderful fruit for her topic of the day. Read on…. -------------------------------------------------- THURSDAY: TANGERINES In the dark ages citrus fruits were thought to be harmful if consumed, although the Mesopotamians loved them for their fragrance and beauty, and the Egyptians employed them in their embalming rituals. Most cultures used citrus fruits in some form even before they were accepted as a food: aphrodisiacs, a prevention or cure for fever, colds and scurvy; an antidote for poison, a deterrent for bugs. Mandarin oranges, or tangerines, in their many forms are, perhaps, the most loved of all the citrus fruits. They are the perfect size for a single snack, their unique flavor and low acid content make them a welcome change from the ubiquitous orange and their short season of availability makes them seem even more precious. Tangerine Tips: When purchasing, choose tangerines that are plump and heavy for their size and soft to the touch, but firm underneath the skin. The loose-skinned varieties like Satsuma appear puffy. Store tangerines at room temperature for a week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks When using the zest or peel of any citrus fruit, it is preferable to buy organic fruit as it has not been sprayed. Tangerine zest is almost as useful and prized as the flesh. In Chinese cookery it is an important seasoning that is sold as dried tangerine peel. It is soaked and used, sparingly, to flavor meat, poultry, soup and sweet dishes. The older skins are very expensive, some are said to be more than one hundred years old and are highly prized. There are many everyday applications for the use of tangerine zest. It can be used in place of lemon zest to add a zing with less acid than lemon and a tangerine flavor for a sweeter taste. Some tangerines don't zest as well as others, due to bumpy loose skin, or to thin skin that turns to mush when zested. Tangerine skin does not have a thick white layer (pith) between the skin and flesh. Thus, the entire skin can be used rather than cutting away the colored part and avoiding the pith, as is necessary with other citrus fruits. The skin, while tangy, is sweet and flavorful and tastes much like the tangerine flesh. It is good fresh, dried and frozen. Tangerine skin may also be grated on any type of grater with tiny holes. Grating produces a more compact, moist zest, one teaspoon of which is equivalent to one tablespoon of zest produced from a zester. Tangerine zest may be slightly dried, then frozen for use as needed. 1 average tangerine equals about ¼ cup juice—more or less, depending upon size, type and juiciness of tangerine. Tangerines lose some of their flavor when heated or cooked. If substituting tangerines for oranges in a recipe, use a bit extra tangerine or tangerine juice. Add tangerine zest and minced garlic to soft butter to make a compound butter for vegetables, bread, seafood or poultry. -------------------------------------------------- Tangerine Chicken Serves 6 Fresh tangerines are a cool foil to the slightly spicy chicken in this dish, with a sauce that must have rice to absorb every drop. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 24 strips 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup tangerine juice (juice from 4 tangerines) 2 tangerines, peeled, halved crosswise, seeded, and broken into segments Mix flour, thyme, salt and peppers together. Pat chicken dry and coat with the flour mixture, saving any extra flour (tossing in a zip-style bag works well). Heat the oil and butter together in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When butter is melted and foam subsides, reduce heat to medium, add onions and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken breast strips with any remaining seasoned flour and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Raise heat to high and add broth and tangerine juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Add the segments from the 2 tangerines and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken and tangerine segments are hot. Serve with rice, noodles, or crusty bread. -------------------------------------------------- Jerky of the Month Club The perfect gift for the hunter or fisherman in your family. Enjoy a healthy lean treat while watching your favorite football team. Gourmet handcrafted beef jerky in your favorite flavors, like Teriyaki or Barbecue delivered to your door for six months. Jerky-of-the-month.com is giving away three six-month memberships to lucky Chef2Chef visitors this month! Everyone loves great beef jerky! Register for a chance to win gourmet beef jerky or give your winnings to the jerky lover in your family. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=229 -------------------------------------------------- Tangerale Syrup (Tangerine-ginger ale) Makes about 12 cups Similar in concept to an Italian soda, this is syrup that you store in the refrigerator and to which you add soda water (also known as club soda, seltzer water or carbonated water) to take a fresh-tasting, delicious drink. You may also use the undiluted syrup to drizzle over a dessert course, such as goat cheese and figs, vanilla ice cream, fresh fruit, or slices of pound cake. For a piquant addition to savory dishes and a rich, dark glaze, brush it over roast or grilled chicken, duck, or pork during the last few minutes of cooking. 1 pound fresh ginger, unpeeled 2 cups fresh tangerine juice (approximately 8 tangerines) 3 quarts water (12 cups) 3 cups sugar 1 2-pound jar honey Coarsely chop ginger into approximately 1-inch pieces. Wash the tangerines and squeeze juice from enough of them to yield 2 cups juice. Coarsely chop the juiced tangerine halves. Bring water to a boil and add ginger and the chopped tangerine halves. When water returns to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add sugar, honey and tangerine juice and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring back to a simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to set several hours or overnight. Strain through a mesh strainer. Cover and store in refrigerator. To make a fresh soda, use 1/3 cup syrup to 1 cup soda--yields an 11-ounce drink (more syrup may be used for a stronger drink, if desired). -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, looking for unique, one-of-a-kind salsa, sauce and marinade recipes to wow your family and friends? Try "Banditos Quick Treat", a package of cream cheese softened, a 16 oz. Jar of medium or habanero salsa and whip together until fluffy. Delicious! You can find this recipe and many more at Bandana Bandito: http://www.bandito.com Check out their new recipe ebook "Appetizers - Recipes from the Bandit's Wife." http://www.bandito.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=230 The bandit's wife offers 23 great Bandana Bandito appetizer recipes that are unique, secret and tasty. Order it now for only $5.95 http://www.bandito.com/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=230. As you read this, the bandit's wife is in the kitchen secretly preparing other e-recipe-books, filled with great twists to old favorites and unique recipes only the bandit's wife knows about! She'd love to hear your ideas too! REGISTER TO WIN a Chip and Dip Bowl and an exciting selection of gourmet salsas by clicking here: http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=238 -------------------------------------------------- Cranberry-Tangerine Salsa Makes 2 cups This is a savory salsa, not a traditional sweet cranberry sauce. It is an ideal accompaniment to pork, veal, lamb, poultry, or hearty fish such as halibut or tuna. Use it on chicken, turkey or pork sandwiches as a wonderful condiment. Try it with mild sausages, or as a topping for goat cheese or cream cheese to serve with crackers. 1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce 1/4 cup minced onions 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons tangerine juice Zest from 1 tangerine (1 tsp. grated; 1 tablespoon zested) 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 3/4 teaspoons salt Combine all ingredients and mix to blend. Best if made several hours before serving. May be made several days ahead and stored in refrigerator (it even freezes reasonably well). Serve at room temperature. -------------------------------------------------- Lost Yankee Winter Morels. Why wait till spring when you can enjoy Morels any month of the year? Winter Morels: frozen, bite sized wild Morel caps (no stems), in a low salt, no MSG, chicken, vegetable or beef stock. Recipe developed over five years with advice from two very fine restaurants. Designed to be a versatile Morel product allowing a chef to explore the world of Morel recipes. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=237 NOTE: I've had these delicious morels recently and they are every bit as good as this company claims them to be. All the aroma, flavor, texture of fresh picked wild Morels can now be had year round. -------------------------------------------------- Shopping Lists: All-purpose flour Thyme Salt White pepper Cayenne pepper 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts Olive oil Butter Onion Chicken broth 1 cup tangerine juice (juice from 4 tangerines) 2 tangerines 1 pound fresh ginger 2 cups fresh tangerine juice (approximately 8 tangerines) Sugar 1 2-pound jar honey 1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce Onions Cilantro Tangerine juice 1 tangerine Balsamic vinegar Salt -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE: All Club e-mails are archived each Friday at: http://chef2chef.net/news/club/ -------------------------------------------------- |