5 Uses For Sour Orange Juice
Earlier this week we made Messy Moroccan Chicken Wings and one of the ingredients that makes them finger lickin’ delicious is sour orange juice. Some might call it bitter orange, bigarade, or Seville orange, but no matter which one you choose, it’s a staple in our house!
Bitter orange juice comes from a specific type of orange (you can read more about it here) and it’s a smaller orange with thick skin that gets a little wrinkled with deep pores. It’s not the best for chowing down on straight from the tree, but it is a super tasty flavor to add to many of dishes. If you can’t find fresh oranges at your local grocer, try looking for just the juice. It’s usually in a tall skinny bottle in the Mexican aisle. Here’s a few ways to give it a try in your own home:
1. Marinades: Bitter orange pairs perfectly with chicken, beef, pork, duck and even vegetables. Add a little olive oil, some garlic and salt and pepper and your foods for the grill will be ready to go!
2. Seville Orange Marmalade: When we can find the physical oranges in the store we make sure to buy extra to make this marmalade from David Lebovitz. It’s a perfect pairing with meats, sweets or on a simple piece of toast once you have the taste for it.
3. Pickling: The acidity in these oranges is high enough that you can use the juice like you would vinegar. It’s great in dressings, but it makes amazing pickled onions, ready for tacos, gyros and more!
4. Naranjada: When mixed with sugar (1/4 cup) and water (1 1/2 cup), this overly bitter juice (hopefully of 4 oranges) becomes something quite tasty. It’s a staple beverage in other parts of the world, more specifically South America. So when your food choices turn that direction, mix yourself up a glass and make sure it’s cold, cold, cold! It’s great in cocktails in general and perfect if you own a Soda Stream machine!
5. Fish Wet Rub: Mixing 3 tablespoons of sour orange juice with 1 glove of roasted garlic (plus salt and pepper to taste) is a great wet rub for fish. It makes your flaky friend a little slimy and a little sour no matter if it’s pan friend, grilled or baked, it works out great in the end.
(Image: Flickr member WordRidden licensed for use by Creative Commons)