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Then she moved on to the main focus: BRUNCH. Jackie explained that making a confit is traditionally a very long process, but that her method greatly reduces the amount of time needed, but still results in the same flavor. She shared her recipes for a fabulous brunch cocktail, the Mimosa 75, and a delicious brunch treat, Pain Perdu, both of which use the confit orange as an ingredient, and shared samples of each with us--OH MY GOODNESS THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!! She also graciously provided us with parting gifts of mason jars with confit orange to take home. These recipes would be fantastic for brunch, Mother's Day, a special occasion, or any day, really!
Confit Orange
Juice of 2 lemons
1 vanilla bean husk
2.5lbs (1.13kg) granulated sugar
Bring water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the whole oranges for 1 minute. Remove the oranges and drain the water. Bring another fresh pot of water to a boil and blanch the oranges again for 1 minute to remove more of the bitterness in the skin, and drain the water.
Quarter the oranges along the stem, place in the pot, and add the sugar and lemon juice. Add enough wter to cover the oranges and slowly bring to a very low simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 6-8 hours, until the skins begin to become translucent looking, the oranges are tender but still hold together, adding more water if needed. If you cannot tend to the burner for the entire 6-8 hours, cover the pot and resume the low simmer when you are able.
To store, place them in a canning jar with both segments and syrup. They will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.