Portokalia Se Mavrothaphne - Oranges in Red Wine
Submitted by bmartha
Greek poached oranges in spiced mavrodaphne wine syrup with bay leaf and clove. A jewel-toned, make-ahead dessert that lets winter citrus shine without the oven.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
10 minREADY
90 minGlistening orbs of golden orange pulp under a deep ruby syrup. Portokalia se Mavrodaphne is the kind of Greek dessert that does almost everything for you in advance, then sits in the fridge looking like cut amber until you spoon it into bowls. The mavrodaphne, a sweet fortified wine from the Peloponnese, carries notes of dried fig and raisin that wrap themselves around the citrus as it chills.
The trick is in the knife work. Cutting away every scrap of white pith leaves you with naked, glassy fruit that drinks up the syrup. A whole clove and a single bay leaf do the seasoning quietly in the background. No port? Use ruby port or even a sweet madeira. The reduction at the end is what turns the poaching liquid into a proper glaze that clings to each segment.
Pro Tips
- Take your time peeling the pith. Any white left behind goes bitter in the syrup and ruins the silky texture.
- Use a small saucepan and poach in pairs. Crowding cools the syrup and the oranges won’t warm through evenly.
- Weight floating oranges with a small saucer so they stay submerged and color uniformly.
- Reduce the syrup hard at the end. You want it pourable but glossy, somewhere between maple syrup and warm honey.
- Chill at least an hour before serving. The flavor deepens as the oranges sit in the cold syrup.
Variations
- Swap mavrodaphne for ruby port, sweet sherry, or a late-harvest Zinfandel.
- Add a cinnamon stick and a strip of lemon zest for a holiday-leaning profile.
- Serve over thick Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream with the julienned zest scattered on top.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove the zest of 2 of the oranges with a zester; or pare finely with a vegetable peeler, then cut into thin julienne strips.
With a very sharp knife, cut off the skin and outside membrane of all the oranges, so you have glistening orbs of golden pulp.
Do this over a bowl to catch escaping juice.
Choose a saucepan just large enough to hold 2 oranges at a time and put in the escaped juice and remaining ingredients.
Dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 minutes.
Submerge 2 oranges at a time and cook just long enough to warm them through - about 3 minutes.
If they bob up, place a small weighted saucer over them.
Remove to a serving dish and continue with the next pair until finished.
Boil to reduce the syrup by half, drizzle over the oranges, and chill.
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