Gratin Of Oranges

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 8 navel oranges (or combination of navel, blood and pink cara cara navels)
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Recipe

• 1 peel and slice the oranges: using a sharp paring knife, slice off the bottom and the top of each orange, exposing the flesh underneath; following the curve of the fruit, cut a one-half to 1-inch wide vertical strip of the peel; repeat, working your way around the orange until you've cut away all the peel; trim any pith.
• 2 slice the orange into quarter-inch slices and place in a baking dish (a 12-inch round dish works well).
• 3 repeat, using all of the oranges.
• 4 in a small heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, orange juice, rum, lemon juice and orange zest and stir to combine with a whisk.
• 5 place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water, like a double-boiler, and continue stirring with the whisk; the mixture will foam a little, then turn pale and finally thicken after about 3 to 5 minutes.
• 6 when the mixture is thick enough that the whisk leaves tracks in it, remove the bowl from the heat, whisk rapidly to cool it down, and pour it through a fine strainer into a clean bowl.
• 7 cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (the dish can be prepared to this point up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerated separately).
• 8 when almost ready to serve, beat the whipping cream with a balloon whisk until it forms stiff peaks.
• 9 stir the egg mixture to loosen it, adding any orange juice that has collected in the bottom of the baking dish.
• 10 gently fold the egg mixture into the whipping cream.
• 11 sprinkle the oranges with the powdered sugar and stir to combine.
• 12 spoon the egg mixture over the oranges in a haphazard pattern (there won't be enough to completely cover the fruit, so don't worry).
• 13 sprinkle with the slivered almonds and place the baking dish under a cold broiler as close to the flame as possible.
• 14 turn on the broiler and heat just until the gratin puffs and browns, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• 15 alternatively, you can brown the top with a creme brulee torch. serve immediately.