Candied Citrus Peel

PREPPING THE CITRUS PEEL

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the tops and bottom ends off the citrus, so they can stand steady without rolling.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut away the skin from the fruit in long strips, following the natural curve of the citrus.
3. Lay the citrus peels flat on the cutting board with the white pith facing up. Flatten the peel and use a sharp paring knife to cut away the areas where the citrus is still attached to the peel.
4. Cut the citrus into long, thin strips about 1/4" thick.

BLANCH THE PEELS AT LEAST 3 TIMES:

1. Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the citrus strips and boil for 5 minutes. Remove one of the strips of peel and taste it. It should be bitter, but you need to taste it to compare how the flavors soften after several blanchings.
2. Use a mesh strainer to drain the water from the citrus peel. Refill the pot with water and bring the water to a boil. Add the citrus peel and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Drain the water from the peels. Refill the pot again with water and bring it to a boil. Add the citrus peel and cook for 5 more minutes. Drain. The citrus peels should be very soft and tender.
4. Taste one of strips. If it's still very bitter, you can repeat the blanching process one more time. Note: if you're using grapefruit, which tend to be thicker and larger, you may need to blanch the peels 2-3 more times.
5. Spread the citrus onto a dishtowel and lightly pat away any excess water. Set aside.

MAKING CANDIED PEEL:

1. In a smaller saucepan combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, add the blanched citrus peel, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. The peels should be soft and have a translucent look to them.
2. Use a spider to lift the candied strips out of the syrup and transfer to a wire rack resting over a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper (to catch any drips). Separate the strips so they don't touch and can drain any excess syrup. Let the peels rest for one to two hours. They will feel tacky to the touch.
3. Add the remaining half cup of sugar to a small bowl. Add about 10-15 peels at a time to the bowl and toss them with your fingers until they're completely coated in sugar. Continue in this manner until all the peels are sugared. Transfer the peels to another rack to dry for several hours or overnight.
4. Store the candied orange and citrus peels in an airtight container at room temperature.

MAKE A FRUIT SALAD:

1. Don't throw away the fruit... instead, supreme it for a fruit salad. Use your paring knife to separate segments of fruit from the membrane. Slice down one side of the segment along the membrane and repeat on the other side. Remove the supremed fruit and transfer to a bowl. I like to squeeze segmented citrus membranes over the bowl of fruit, to get all the remaining citrus juice into the salad.