Oranges

Sweet oranges are eaten fresh and used in sorbets and granitas, and their aromatic zest can be used in sweet and savoury dishes. To use the zest in cooking, scrub, wash and dry the orange first. Grate the zest, but make sure you don’t remove the bitter white pith, or use a zester to scrape down the side of the orange. Use a pastry brush to brush all the loose bits off the grater. If using the zest in a sweet dish, rub a sugar cube over the orange before grating it to extract the oils. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to slice off pieces of orange zest, then cut it into fine strips and use these as decoration. Blanch the strips to make them more tender, if you prefer.