Mandarins

RECIPES & IMAGES FIONA HUGUES

While away the dark, cold days of winter planning future trips to warm far-off lands and savour the punchy sunny flavours of locally produced mandarins served in savoury Mediterranean ways.

SEARED CARROTS, MANDARINS, CURRANTS & BURRATA

It’s no secret that I’d possibly trade one of my kids for a burrata if it were hard to come by and only flown in by private jet from a dairy in Puglia or a seaside trattoria in Europe. Now, gratefully, we have superb producers making this illicitly magnificent cheese right here in New Zealand, so my children can rest easy. Known across Italy as the Queen of Cheeses, she’s a fresh mozzarella pillow enveloping Stracciatella curds and cream. I’ve served it here with, mandarins, roasted carrots and sherry vinegar-soaked currants. Enough said.

1 burrata (fresh mozzarella available from Vetro otherwise use 100g soft goats curd as a good substitute) 5–7 baby carrots (I used orange and purple) 1 large carrot 1 blood orange, peeled and sliced (or use a sweet navel orange) 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced into discs ½ cup currants and/or golden sultanas 1/3 cup sherry vinegar (available from Vetro) good extra virgin olive oil salt & pepper 2 tbsp basil leaves, finely sliced

First place the currants and/or sultanas in a small bowl and top with the sherry vinegar. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Set aside. Split two of the baby carrots lengthwise. Cut the others into 3mm slices to make tiny discs. Cut the large carrot into 3mm slices and cut these in half. Place all the chopped carrots in a large bowl, toss with olive oil and season before laying on a lined baking tray to cook at 190°C fan bake for 20 minutes until soft and beginning to char on the edges. You want the luscious caramel tones of slightly overcooked veggies to come through. Set aside to cool. When your carrots have cooled to lukewarm, arrange on a plate and add the sliced citrus amongst it. Sprinkle over the currants and vinegar juice. Place your burrata in the centre, season and drizzle over a generous amount of olive oil.

Shower in the sliced basil leaves.

Devour with plenty of bread to mop up the sweet creamy juices.

BROCCOLI, BITTER LEAVES & MANDARIN SALAD WITH PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

According to my chef friends, I am very brave publicly loving radicchio as its apparently a very hard ingredient to sell. I, like long-time dwellers of Italy and France, adore it. The crunchy mild bitterness does a lovely thing when it meets sweet citrus, and the creamy salty pistachios here make this salad a damn fine winter eating concoction in my opinion.

½ cup pistachios, gently roasted in a dry pan plus extra to garnish 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 3 tbsp water 1 tbsp runny honey ½ garlic clove, crushed olive oil salt & pepper ½ broccoli head, cut into florets and halved good handful of radicchio or other bitter winter salad leaves like curly endive, witlof or even the outer leaves of Brussel sprouts work well. ½ cup fennel, thinly shaved 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced ½ cup pickled red onion (see below)

Over medium heat add a little oil in a non-stick pan and sear broccoli on the cut side until beginning to blacken. Turn down heat slightly, place the lid on the pan and steam for a few minutes until tender. Place the pistachios, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, water, garlic and runny honey in a small blender and blitz until creamy. Add olive oil to loosen, then season and place in a small bowl. In a bowl arrange the broccoli, radicchio, fennel and mandarins. Sprinkle over the pickled onions and some whole pistachios. Serve with the nut dressing on the side.

ROASTED KŪMARA WITH MANDARINS, PECORINO & ALMONDS

This is a variation of my infamous Wicked Step-grandmother Kūmara Salad, but this darling little dish is in no way sinister. She does, however, pack a subtle punch with sneaky chilli heat that’s perfect to warm one up when the temperature is dire. If you don’t like too much pep in your salad, add the chilli slices when making your vinaigrette and get a gentle heart warm on instead.

2 Beauregard kūmara, sliced into 5mm thick slices 1/3 cup Pecorino or Parmesan, shaved 1/3 cup roasted whole almonds ½ red chilli, finely sliced 2–3 mandarins, peeled and segmented ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp honey ¼ cup sherry vinegar (available at Vetro or La Cave) salt & pepper small handful of basil leaves, or your favourite soft herb

Preheat your oven to 190°C fan bake. Place your sliced kūmara in a bowl and toss with a good slosh of olive oil to coat. Lay on lined baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15–20 minutes until soft and golden. To make the dressing: In a small jar combine the mustard, honey and sherry vinegar with a little salt and pepper. Add chilli slices here if not using in your salad directly and shake to combine. Add ½ cup olive oil (or to taste) and shake again. In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients with a third of the vinaigrette and pile the dressed salad onto a plate. Drizzle with a little more dressing, sprinkle over the basil and season.

CEVICHE WITH CRÈME FRAICHE & CITRUS PONZU

I probably eat more fish raw these days than cooked. The flavours of the sea when fish is fresh and crudo immediately whisk you away to balmy, salted shores. This is one of my favourite ways to eat it. This cheats ponzu style sauce is ready in moments and it makes a sublime light meal with a crisp white wine and plenty of crusty bread to mop up the tart creamy juices.

1 x white fleshed boneless fish fillet cut into mouthful-sized slices 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1/3 cup mirin ¼ cup light soy sauce ¼ cup mandarin juice ½ tsp sesame oil 1 chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped 1-2 tbsp chives, chopped olive oil salt & pepper crème fraiche and baguette or sourdough, to serve

In a small jar combine the mirin, rice wine vinegar, mandarin juice and soy sauce. Drip in the sesame oil, taste and season. Lay the fish in a single layer on a serving platter. Spoon over the dressing to taste, keeping any extra in the fridge for up to a week. Drizzle over a little olive oil, sprinkle with the chopped chives and chilli.

Eat immediately.

SIMPLE WINTER MANDARIN SALSA

This is very much a freestyle salsa utilising whatever seasonal citrus you have on hand. If it’s too acidic sprinkle in a little fine raw sugar to tone it down a tad. Make it an hour ahead so the flavours get to know each other. Serve with pan fried fish or crunchy coated chicken. It also makes a great salad. Just pile onto blanched greens or salad leaves and sprinkle with crumbled feta.

1 red onion, thinly sliced ¼-1/3 cup champagne vinegar (available from Vetro or white wine vinegar) 1 tsp golden caster sugar Various citrus peeled and segments cut from pith (I used an orange, a blood orange and a few segments of lemon) 2 mandarins, peeled and sliced 1 red chilli, sliced and roughly chopped 2–3 tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped olive oil water salt & pepper

To pickle the onions: place the onion rings in a small bowl and top with 50% champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar and 50% water only just to cover. Sprinkle over a scant teaspoon of golden caster sugar and microwave on high for 20 seconds. Set aside to cool and macerate for at least an hour.

To assemble, lift half the onion rings out of the pickling liquid (keep the rest covered in the fridge and use within a few days) and combine all the other ingredients, place a few onion rings on the top. Squeeze over the juice of one mandarin and season heavily with salt and pepper.