Orange Crush

By Susan M. Selasky/Detroit Free Press

Orange you glad it's January?

If you eat and shop for food in season, check out the citrus aisle. Now is peak time for oranges, and most stores are loaded with them.

Not only is the fruit a bright spot in winter, it brings some juicy health benefits. But the selection of neatly stacked orange orbs can be confusing.

Look closely at their sizes, shapes and textures. There are thick- and thin-skinned varieties. Some can be peeled in seconds. Many are seedless.

You may find sweet Satsumas. And that darling clementine, also called a Christmas orange, may be available.

But there are others - like the Cara Cara, Honeybell (not actually an orange but a tangerine-grapefruit hybrid) and blood oranges.

Their flesh varies from brilliant red or orange to salmon pink to orange streaked with crimson. Their flavor profiles are just as different, from sweet to super sweet to sweet-tart. And some are more chin-drippingly juicy than others.

Jim Moran, produce manager for Westborn markets, says customers often ask him when certain varieties will be available.

“Now there's more supply, and more growers venturing off into exotic fruit-growing, so there is more availability to the buyer,” Moran said.

What's particularly popular now, albeit for a very short time, are Honeybells, Moran said. Their season begins and pretty much ends in January or early February.

“They are very sweet with great flavor and tons of juice,” Moran said.

Fabrizio Casini, director of produce and floral production for Hiller's markets, said Cara Cara oranges are just starting and will be at their peak in a couple of weeks.

And in the next couple of weeks, you will see the Page tangerine. “They are from California, are not well-known, but they are wonderful,” Casini said.

So let's compare. Follow the guide to five varieties in stores now.

Pork Chops with Oranges and Parsley

Serves: 4 / Preparation time: 5 minutes / Total time: 20 minutes

If desired, add a few pitted and sliced green or kalamata olives or capers along with the orange segments.

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

4 bone-in pork chops about 1-inch thick (about 2 pounds total)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 strips orange zest, plus 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 oranges such as Cara Cara, peeled and with pith removed and flesh cut into segments

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season pork with salt and pepper and cook until cooked through, 9 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a platter.

Add orange zest and juice to skillet. Cook until slightly thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange segments. To serve, spoon orange mixture over pork chops and top with parsley.

Adapted from Everyday Food magazine, November 2010 issue.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

318 calories (37 percent from fat), 13 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat), 14 grams carbohydrates, 35 grams protein, 365 mg sodium, 93 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber .

 

Clementine and Five-Spice Chicken

Serves: 4 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes

8 to 10 clementines (mandarins, honey tangerines or oranges work well, too)

Generous 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/4 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, crushed, or crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 large, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total), skin removed and fat trimmed

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 cup small fresh cilantro leaves

1 to 2 thinly sliced green onions

1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest and squeeze 1 cup juice from 6 to 8 clementines. Slice the remaining 2 clementines into 1/4-inch-thick round slices. Cut the peel off, discard and set the rounds aside.

In a small bowl, combine the zest, juice, five-spice powder and peppercorns or pepper flakes .

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with the salt. Cook the chicken, turning frequently, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Pour in the juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook the chicken until just cooked through, 16-18 minutes.

When the chicken is done, transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Increase the heat to high and cook the sauce, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to 1/2 to 2/3 cup, 2-4 minutes. Stir in the clementine slices, cilantro, green onions and sesame oil. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

Adapted from Eating Well magazine, February 2012 issue.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

283 calories (41 percent from fat), 13 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 19 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein, 374 mg sodium, 81 mg cholesterol, 2 grams fiber .

 

Orange, Beet and Fennel Salad

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (not all active time)

This salad makes a stunning presentation. You can use all red beets or all Cara Cara oranges.

2 medium red beets, tops trimmed

2 medium golden beets, tops trimmed

3 blood oranges

1 medium Cara Cara orange

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise on a mandoline

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline (about 1/3 cup)

Good-quality olive or walnut oil for drizzling

Coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro and/or chervil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash beets, leaving some water on skins. Wrap individually in foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Let cool.

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from all oranges; discard. Working over a medium bowl, cut between membranes of 2 blood oranges to release segments into bowl; squeeze juice from membranes into bowl and discard membranes. Slice remaining blood orange and Cara Cara orange crosswise into thin rounds. You can cut the rounds in half if they are large. Place sliced oranges in bowl with the segments. Add lemon juice and lime juice.

Peel cooled beets. Slice 2 beets crosswise into thin rounds. Cut remaining 2 beets into wedges. Strain citrus juices, reserve. Layer beets and oranges on plates, dividing evenly. Arrange fennel and onion over beets. Spoon reserved citrus juices over, then drizzle salad generously with oil. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and pepper. Let salad stand for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Garnish salad with cilantro leaves.

Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012 issue.

Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

90 calories (15 percent from fat), 1 gram fat (0 grams sat. fat), 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 58 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 grams fiber .

 

Know your oranges

Buy fruit that is heavy for its size and without blemishes or soft spots. Most will keep at room temperature for about a week and in the refrigerator for 3 weeks.

Cara Cara: A navel orange with low acidity. Seedless, sweet and tangy. Flesh is dark pink or reddish. Can be tough to peel. Add segments to salads and juice to sauces.

Honeybell: A bell-shaped tangelo from Florida that's a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Easy to peel and super, super sweet and juicy. Best eaten out of hand. Get them now; their season ends this month or early February.

Blood: Moro variety is most common in stores; about the size of a tennis ball. Flesh is dark crimson and sweet-tart with berry notes. Skin may have maroon patches. Few or no seeds. Use juice in sauces and drinks, slices or segments in salads.

Clementine: An easy-to-peel mandarin orange, often called a Christmas orange because it's available December through January. Sweet and most often seedless. A great snacking orange. Often sold in 5-pound boxes or 3 pound bags. Juice is great in vinaigrettes.

Satsuma: A mandarin orange with loose skin that peels easily. Seedless, sweet and juicy. Terrific snacking orange. Often sold with leaves attached, so it has decorative uses. Most canned mandarins are from Satsumas.

Orange facts

1 orange = 100 percent of daily vitamin C requirement

Good source of vitamin A, fiber and potassium

Loose-skinned tangerines and oranges are passed out on Chinese New Year (which begins Jan. 23) because words for tangerine and orange sound like luck and wealth.