Writings: Katira al-Maghrebiyya (aka Kay the Innocent of Bel Anjou)

Candied Fruit - Cook-Off
Twelfth Night A.S. XXXIV
Entrant: Kay the Innocent of BelAnjou
Recipe: Candied Orange Peel

Documentation

Source: The Medieval Kitchen by Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban and Silvano Serventi, translated by Edward Schneider. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1998.
Original Recipe: Fourteenth Century, Le Menagier de Paris, Candied Orange Rind (Orengat) 265

To make orengat, cut the peel of an orange into five segments and, with a knife, scrape off the white pith that is inside, Then soak them in nice, fresh water for nine days, and change the water every day: then boil them in fresh water until it comes to the boil, then spread them on a cloth and let them dry thoroughly: then put them in a pot with enough honey to cover them completely, and boil over a low fire, and skim it: and when you think that the honey is done (to see if it is done, put some water into a bowl and drop into that water a drop of the honey, and if it spreads it is not cooked: and if that drop of honey holds its shape in the water without spreading, it is done): then, remove your orange peel, and make a layer of it and sprinkle ginger powder on top, then another layer, and sprinkle, etc., ad infinitum: leave for a month or longer before eating.

It is noted that a century later Nostradamus indicated a choice of honey or sugar and by the mid-sixteenth century, "the crystallized juice of the cane plant--sugar--had conquered all of Europe".

Source: Tournaments Illuminated, Issue 116, Liqueurs Made by Infusion with a Period Candy Recipe Thrown in for Good Measure, by Henry Marks.
He notes that recipes for candied orange peel appear in W.I. Gent's A true Gentlewoman's Delight (1653), Elinor Fettiplace's Recipt Book (1609), and John Murrell's A Daily exercise for Ladies and Gentlewomen (1617). His comments indicate that they all use sugar for the candying. They differ only in minor ways from the earlier version (soaking fewer days, changing water more often, cutting in smaller pieces). One uses sugar to coat before drying (the other two use nothing)).

It appears that along with the change to sugar from honey, ginger was no longer used to flavor the candied peel. Because of this and because I don't like a strong ginger flavor, I have chosen to use sugar throughout the recipe, but I did coat some of the candied peel with ginger powder for a taste test. The modern redactions in both sources use zest, eliminating the need to remove the white pith from the peel or soak it for days. For my entry, I have candied both zest and trimmed peel. For my presentation,I also included the zest of a lemon and lime for a yellow "rose" and some "leaves".
Recipe
4 large navel oranges
2 1/2 cups sugar
sugar for coating
2 cups water
ginger for coating (optional)

Peel 2 oranges, keeping the peel in long strips about an 1 inch wide. Trim off the white pith. Soak in water for about 5 days, changing the water twice a day. Drain the peel strips. Peel the zest (using a potato peeler) from 2 oranges, keeping the peel in long strips to facilitate making the "roses". Put the peel and the zest in fresh water in a pan and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and cut the large pieces of peel into small strips, rounds or oblongs for "necklace beads" or thin strips. Put sugar and water in pan and make a sugar syrup. Remove half of the syrup and hold aside. Add the peel and the zest to the pan and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and carefully spread the zest on cake racks. Put remaining half of syrup in pan and add the peel. Simmer another 30 minutes. While still soft, coat the zest with sugar. Follow "Rose" instructions below. Drain the peel and toss with sugar (or ginger). Dry well and store in airtight container. Aging is good but not necessary.

To make "Necklace": Use a toothpick to pierce pieces of orange peel and using dental floss (clean and strong), string the orange peel "beads" with the sugar paste "beads".

To make "Roses": While still pliable, roll a long strip of zest so that it resembles a rosebud, pinching the bottom a bit to hold it together. Use as is, or add strips until a full rose is assembled. It can be mounted on a lump of sugar paste (or royal frosting) to further hold it together. Use to decorate sugar paste or ginger cookie boxes, or cakes.

Note: For the theme of "The Wedding", I created a subtlety consisting of a decorated box made of sugar plate for a necklace such as might be presented to the bride at the wedding feast.

My second “box” didn’t come together so there was a pile of the candied peels with the second decorated lid topping it. The whole entry was to be presented to the King and Queen at the high table after the competition and all the courts, but the competition didn’t happen until later in the evening after I had already made the presentation. Oh, well.

Last updated 01/03/2007