Clementines are in season from November until February and are traditional at Christmas. Here I’m sharing two very simple recipes using clementines that are perfect for the festive period.
Clementine and Cardamom Compote
A compote is basically fruit cooked with some type of sugar. In this compote I’ve used honey, but you can use maple syrup or table sugar.
This citrusy compote can be used in multiple ways - it’s brilliant for breakfast layered with Greek yoghurt and granola or nuts, as a dessert with creme fraiche or even as a condiment for your buffet table.
Ingredients
Makes enough to fill a standard jam jar
12 seedless clementines or easy-peelers
2-3 tbsp honey
Seeds from a couple of cardamom pods, bashed
Juice of one lemon
To serve:
For breakfast - Greek yoghurt, granola and nuts - almonds and walnuts pair well with citrus.
For dessert - ice-cream or yoghurt
Method
Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the clementines. Start by slicing off the ends of the fruit, then use your knife to slice away the peel from top to bottom, keeping as much of the flesh as possible.
Chop the clementines into small pieces, saving any juice that escapes. Add the flesh and juice to a medium saucepan.
Bash the cardamom pods slightly with a pestle and mortar to release the seeds. Add to the pan with the honey and lemon juice.
Place over a medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer and then cook for around 15 minutes stirring occasionally. The compote is ready when the fruit has broken down and the liquid has thickened and is syrupy.
Leave to cool, fish out any of the cardamon pods and then heap into a clean empty jam jar. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Try layering with yoghurt in a bowl or jar and top with granola for a tasty, easy breakfast.
Caramel Clementines
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 with ice-cream, yoghurt or creme fraiche
12 seedless clementines or easy-peelers
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
Seeds from a couple of cardamom pods, bashed
Method
Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the clementines. Start by slicing off the ends of the fruit, then use your knife to slice away the peel from top to bottom, keeping as much of the flesh as possible. Reserve any juice that escapes too.
Slice each clementine into rounds and place in a bowl with the juices.
Place the sugar, cardamom seeds and water in a heavy-based pan. Heat until dissolved and you can no longer see any sugar. Turn up the heat and boil the liquid until it turns caramel in colour - mine took about five minutes. Do not stir! You can swirl the pan if needed to help even out the colour. Once it’s the right colour, remove from the heat.
Whisk in another 3 tablespoons of water - but be very careful as the caramel will spit, so angle yourself away from the pan as you do this. Stir to combine the water into the caramel and then pour over the orange slices.
Leave to ‘marinate’ before serving - you can serve warm or chill in the fridge. Delicious as a speedy dessert served with Greek yoghurt, creme fraiche or ice-cream.
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