Orange Crush

From the rind to the fruit to the subtly tart juice, what’s not to love about clementines? Here’s your no-waste guide to turning that box of mini orange beauties into citrus-spiked sippers, light desserts and easy apps in no time flat. 1. Powdered zest Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Use a sharp paring knife to scrape the pith off fresh clementine rinds. Place the rinds on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 minutes. When cooled, grind to a powder and use as a substitute for orange zest. Combine equal parts powder and kosher salt and use to encrust your favorite fleshy white fish. 2. Tea Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Use a sharp paring knife to scrape the pith off fresh clementine rinds. Place the rinds on a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 25 minutes. Toss a peel or two into a cup of black tea for extra flavoring. Store peels in a sealed jar or plastic bag. 3. Raita Zest the rind of 2 small clementines and stir into 1 cup plain yogurt along with 1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed and a pinch of kosher salt. Enjoy with a spicy curry. 4. Mojito Clementines get the call in this variation on a Satsuma mojito created by local mixologist Nate Selsor. In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine 1½ ounces quality blanco tequila, 1½ ounces clementine juice, ½ ounce Cherry Heering liqueur, ½ ounce Licor 43 and 1 dash Angostura bitters. Shake hard for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a clementine twist. 5. Salad In a large salad bowl, combine 1 small bulb of fennel sliced paper thin, ½ pound of arugula, 1 diced avocado, and 2 to 3 clementines that have been pealed and cut into ½-inch segments. Toss the salad with a quality white wine vinaigrette to coat. Serve topped with fresh Parmesan slices, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. 6. Mulled wine In a large pot on low heat, combine 1 bottle of red wine and 1/8 cup brown sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, a 1-inch nob of peeled fresh ginger (thinly sliced) and the juice and rinds of 3 clementines. Cover and allow the flavors to meld together for an hour. Do not let it boil. Serve hot in mugs. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or clementine segment. 7. Candied peel Remove the rinds from 3 to 4 clementines using a vegetable peeler, being careful to leave the bitter white pith behind. Scrape any pith off the rind with a sharp paring knife. Cut the rind into strips. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Toss in the rinds. Turn heat to low to simmer for 3 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Re-simmer if rinds aren’t soft yet. Drain, reserving syrup and tossing rinds with enough sugar to coat. Let the rinds dry on a baking sheet. 8. Ice cream syrup In a small pot or medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup clementine juice, 1 star anise, 1 long cinnamon stick, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns. Reduce over medium-low heat. Strain and pour over vanilla ice cream. 9. Truffles Finely chop 8 ounces of good quality chocolate (at least 60 percent cocoa) and place in a medium bowl. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, simmer ½ cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of clementine zest. Pour the cream over the cocoa and gently whisk until smooth. Add a pinch of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of dark rum and stir. Refrigerate mixture for 1½ hours. Using hands, roll chocolate into 1-inch balls, place on parchment-lined sheets and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll balls in unsweetened cocoa powder.