A winter afternoon, just getting dark and the scent of hot citrus and sugar is climbing the stone stairs that lead up from the kitchen. Marmalade Day will always be up there with Stir-Up Sunday as the best of kitchen days. If I’m honest, I didn’t really need to make marmalade this year. There is some Seville orange left from last time, much of which was used in ice cream with dark chocolate shards, to frost an almond cake and to coat chicken wings with a sticky, ginger-spiked glaze.
I am taking my time, slicing pink grapefruit peel into matchstick strips by hand. The size is personal – cut the peel too thin and it is like eating a tangle of cotton threads. Too thick and eating your breakfast toast will resemble a donkey chewing gum. And yes, I know you can prepare your fruit in a machine, but I love the slow, methodical cutting of the peel. The uplifting spritz of zest, the cascading pile of shredded peel. Marmalade is a glowing, glistening reminder that cooking is about so much more than the finished product.
Pink grapefruit marmalade
Making sure your jars are sterilised is essential, as it will prevent mould from forming. I put the jars and their lids on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes, but you can also pour boiling water from the kettle into them if you prefer, drying them with a spotlessly clean tea towel afterwards.
Makes 5 jars
pink grapefruit 700g
lemons 2
water 1.8 litres
granulated sugar 1.5kg
You will also need a large square of muslin.
Cut the grapefruits in half horizontally. Squeeze the juice into a large, deep saucepan, catching the pulp and pips in a sieve balanced over the top.
Turn each half grapefruit shell inside out and tug out the flesh and skins with your fingers. It will peel away from the white pith quite easily.
Put the pips, flesh and skin into the piece of muslin. Cut the lemons in half, squeeze the juice and add to the grapefruit. Place the lemon shells into the muslin, then pull up the four corners to form a pouch and secure tightly with a piece of string. Place the pouch in a very large stainless-steel pan.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the grapefruit peel into long, thin strips. The thickness is up to you but I would aim to cut it as thin as possible, just slightly thicker than a match. Add the shredded peel and the juice to the saucepan then pour in the water. Set aside to soak overnight.
Put the pan over a high heat and bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently, for 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 140C/gas mark 1. Remove the bag of pulp and seeds from the marmalade mixture. Place a sieve or colander over the pan, put the bag in the sieve and press down firmly with a wooden spoon to extract as much of the liquid as you can (there is a surprising amount in the bag and it would be wasteful not to use it.) Discard the bag.
Pour the sugar on to a baking tray and smooth flat, then place in the oven. Leave for 10 minutes until warm then remove and tip into the grapefruit mixture. Bring to the boil, skim off any froth with a metal spoon or piece of kitchen paper, then leave to cook at a sprightly simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reaches 105C on a sugar thermometer, testing as you go. (I test mine by dropping a teaspoonful of marmalade on to a fridge-cold saucer. If it forms a skin within a minute or two and is slow to move when tipped, then it is ready.) Pour into warmed jars then cover tightly with a lid.
Sticky marmalade pudding
A fruit-freckled pudding that has something of the Christmas pudding about it, and might be one to bookmark for those who find the traditional one too heavy.
Serves 6
dried vine fruits 195g
marsala or brandy 80ml
boiling water 120ml
butter 75g
soft brown sugar 100g
egg 1, large
self-raising flour 180g
walnut halves 50g
For the sauce:
soft brown sugar 125g
double cream 150ml
butter 50g
marmalade 150g
salt a pinch
You will need a deep, lightly buttered casserole approximately 22cm x 15cm.
Put the vine fruits into a heatproof mixing bowl, then pour over the marsala and boiling water. Set aside for 20 minutes to let the fruit plump up. Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4.
Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a food processor and beat until soft and creamy, the colour of a latte. From time to time scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Lightly beat the egg and add to the butter and sugar, beating until smooth, then alternately introduce the flour and vine fruits and their liquor. Lightly crush the walnut halves with a pestle or with the end of a rolling pin, then add them, too.
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and smooth the surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the sponge is risen, golden brown and lightly firm to the touch.
While the pudding bakes, make the sauce. Put the soft brown sugar, cream, butter, marmalade and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Set aside as soon as the butter has melted.
Remove the pudding from the oven, pour the sauce over the top and return to the oven for 7 minutes. Serve hot, with cream if you wish.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater
