Through one of my favourite clients – ClemenGold® – we got to spend a balmy afternoon in the orange groves of Citrusdal. Setting a table beneath boughs laden with citrus has been a dream of mine for a long time and realising it in such a beautiful setting was a great experience – even with table, chairs and lunch all laden in the bakkie.

A destination in itself come the winter season, Citrusdal explodes in a riot of tangerine hues, with everything from oranges, naartjies and mandarins to grapefruit, pomelo and limes cultivated in the valley. A favourite stop of mine to buy fruit trees at great prices or simply to re-stock my pantry with marmalades and preserves, Citrusdal is also home to an enormous ClemenGold® farm and it was just our luck that we arrived to shoot right before harvest. Groaning under the weight of bright fruit, the trees offered welcome shade and a chance to snack on fruit right from the branch – an activity that had me feeling like some Grecian damsel about to be lured down to the underworld through her greed. Fortunately for me, ClemenGolds are seedless!

In between all the snacking, I set a table and we further feasted on an al fresco lunch of roasted chicken and ClemenGold® focaccia – the recipes of both I’ve shared below.

 

Sticky ClemenGold® Marmalade and Soy Roast Chicken

Sticky, spicy and sweet – this recipe for ClemenGold® Marmalade and Soy roast chicken is deceptively simple and makes a great option for entertaining, especially during the colder months or the festive season.

Sweet juicy ClemenGold® mandarins make for great marmalade and the spread’s natural sugars caramelise over the chicken as it roasts. 

Prep time: 15 mins /Cook time: 1 hour /Serves: 4

You will need:

  • 1.5kg whole organic chicken
  • 2 tablespoons ClemenGold marmalade (find the recipe here)
  • 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 star anise pod

Method:

Clean the chicken and pat dry using kitchen towel. Lay the chicken on a roasting grid inside a large dish. 

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the ClemenGold® marmalade with the soy sauce and garlic and bring to the boil. Add in the star anise and reduce the heat, leaving the marinade to simmer until slightly thickened. Remove the saucepan from the heat ­­– taking out the star anise – and use a brush to baste the glaze all over the chicken, reserving half of the marinade for a second basting. Cover the roasting dish with foil and roast in a preheated 200°C oven for 35 minutes before removing the foil and basting the chicken a second time with the glaze. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for a further 25 minutes or until the skin is golden.

Serve the chicken with roasted fennel, potatoes, red onion and slices of this ClemenGold® and Olive Focaccia.

 

ClemenGold® & Calamata Olive Focaccia 

Make the dough for this pillowy no-knead bread a day in advance. Once the waiting period for the dough to prove is over, the focaccia only takes 20 minutes from oven to table. The slices of ClemenGold® add a wonderful sweet counter to the salt of the olives.

Prep time: 30 mins plus overnight proving /Cook time: 20 mins /Serves: 4-6

 

You will need:

  • 420ml warm water
  • 4g (1 teaspoon) instant yeast
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) honey 
  • 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
  • 500g white bread flour 
  • 1-2 ClemenGolds, thinly sliced
  • 1x 200g sachet of pitted Calamata olives, drained
  • 8-10 sprigs of rosemary, rubbed with olive oil
  • Flaky sea salt

Method:

Mix the yeast, honey, olive oil and salt into the warm water and add the flour. Mix until the flour is thoroughly hydrated. Scrape down the bowl and cover for 10 minutes in a warm place.

Using wet hands, stretch and pull the dough, folding it in over itself. Cover for another 10 minutes before repeating the stretching process. This builds structure in the dough.

Place dough smooth-side up and rub with olive oil. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Line a 23x33cm metal baking sheet with oiled paper. Pour in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into the base of the tray. With oiled hands, fold the dough into a burrito-like shape, slide lengthways in the tray and flip so that its smooth-side up. 

Cover and proof for 2 hours. If it hasn’t spread over the baking sheet then assist it using oiled hands. Drizzle with olive oil and use fingers to dimple the bread. 

Press the ClemenGold® slices, olives and oiled rosemary into the dimples, and sprinkle over some flaky sea salt. 

Bake the focaccia at 220C on the lowest rack for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve immediately.

You May Also Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *