A burst of sunshine: Celebrating citrus at its peak

Oranges were thought to have originated in china and have been cultivated in the Mediterranean regions since the 9th century where they soon became a symbol of wealth and luxury. The flowers and leaves are very aromatic and with a lasting scent that can carry for miles. Maidens would cup them in their hands to release the heady smell and orange blossoms are still part of a Spanish bride’s bouquet.

Also, orange blossom water, known as “flor de azahar” in Spain is used to flavour many of the country’s pastries, cakes and desserts. There are more than a hundred varieties of oranges in the world, the most popular varieties grown throughout Spain are the sweet, juicy Navel and Navalinas; they usually have a circular mark at the blossom end resembling a naval and are a refreshing addition when served with salt cod in “Remojon de bacalao” or the delicious “Caldillo de Perros”, (fillets of fresh hake with orange and garlic).

Try throwing a few segments into a big green salad and serve with Serrano ham, duck, chicken, or veal. Reduce the juice to a glace with cumin seeds and fresh coriander for grilled salmon. You also can add to pancakes, soufflés, and almond cake or make a fresh marmalade or simply enjoy a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and think of all the good it's doing you. The fact is that breakfast without freshly sqeezed orange juice is like a day without sunshine.

Grilled Tuna with Orange, Olive and Caper Sauce

Ingredients: ​Serves 4

• 4 x 180-225g Tuna steaks

For the Sauce:

• 2 large oranges, Juiced
• 2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 fl ozs/110ml orange juice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 20 black olives, stoned
• 20 capers
• A handful of parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Put the onion, lemon juice, olives, capers and parsley into the food processor and pulse until they are finely minced but not smooth.
2. Remove from the food processor. Place the mixture in a saucepan with the orange juice and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and reduce to thicken, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.
3. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Serve with the orange, olive and caper sauce, new potatoes and salad leaves.

Orange, polenta & olive oil cake

Ingredients:​ Serves 8

• 200g unsalted butter , (at room temperature), plus extra for greasing
• 200g sugar
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g ground almonds
• 100g coarse polenta
• 2 oranges, juiced
• grated zest of one orange
• 1tspn fennel seeds
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas 2½.
2. Grease a 20cm tin, line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper and grease again.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer or large bowl until light and creamy.
4. Slowly beat in the eggs, one by one.
5. In another bowl, combine the ground almonds, polenta, orange zest, orange juice, fennel seeds and baking powder, and then stir this into the cake mix.
6. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the surface is light brown and the cake is coming away slightly from the sides of the tin. Remove the tin from the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes, and then turn it out onto a plate. This cake will be quite fragile, so handle carefully as you remove it.
7. Set aside to cool. Serve with a dollop of sweetened crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Caldillo de Perro

Fillets of hake with orange and garlic

Ingredients: ​Serves 4

• 1kl ​small hake (pescadillas)
• 1​large Spanish onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1litre fish stock
• 2tbsp olive oil
• ​Juice of 2 bitter oranges
• 2tbsp chopped parsley
• ​ A small baguette, cut into thin slices.
• ​ Seasoning

Method

1. Clean and cut the hake into thick 7cm slices. Season heavily with salt and place them in the fridge for 1-2 hours to stiffen.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic until they start to soften. Add the fish stock and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
3. Add the pieces of hake and cook gently for a further 10 minutes. Add the bitter orange juice and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pour into a “cazuela de barro” (earthenware dish) and top with the slices of bread. Bring to the table and serve immediately.