Seville oranges are in season. Hugo Arnoldsuggests ways to make the most of their sour charm
I wasn't prepared for the shock when I left my hotel room in central Seville in southern Spain. Having arrived in darkness the night before, I had missed the vision that awaited me down every street in early morning. There were orange trees left and right, all bearing dull fruit which appeared to glow in the half-light. What a thrill to see such a seasonal treat in situ.
We pay a degree of lip service to seasonality at this time of year. Roots and greens start to pale as the short days continue. But here was a sea of orange to lift the spirits. This is not a vibrant fruit to look at, but I like its subdued nature. The Seville orange is a fruit of dignity.
It is the key ingredient in marmalade. It seems that all we can think of to do with Sevilles is boil them up with sugar, but there are many other uses for them. I wish I made marmalade, but I don't. I have my mother to blame; her jars of golden chunks have been with me all my life.
The juice of these sallow globes peps up lentils when stirred in just before serving. Soups and stews benefit from the addition of both the zest and juice. The zest can also be dried, for future use. If you use vinegar to deglaze some pan-fried liver, try squeezing a little bitter orange juice into the pan instead, for a real lift.
These days, I almost always marinate meat before roasting it, and where I usually use lots of lemons to add a sour note, for the next few weeks I will be using Seville oranges.
Try making a fennel salad, with thin shavings of this crunchy winter vegetable dressed in the juice of Seville oranges, emulsified with olive oil. Chopped parsley adds complexity, while just-boiled and thinly sliced potatoes contribute a waxy richness (this is no time to use floury spuds).
The sweet tartness of Seville oranges makes them an ideal ingredient in a vinaigrette; the juice bakes into a tart to equal any lemon version, and they make duck à l'orange a brilliant rather than an overly sweet main course. They also make a delightful ice-cream that is softer and more soothing than lemon, but still very refreshing.