Recipe Thu Jan 03 2008

Orange Crush

At this time of year, the last thing anyone wants is another heavy dessert. And with citrus fruits at their peak, there's no better time to make a recipe like this one. It's all in the presentation here since the ingredients are simple and there aren't many of them. Regular navel oranges work just fine, but for a more luxurious result, look for blood oranges. Once you've peeled the orange (removing every last scrap of white pith), hold it in the palm of your left hand and, using a paring knife, remove each section by cutting right alongside the membranes that separate one section from the next. Arrange the sections in a circle on a plate as pictured and squeeze on top whatever is left of the orange now that the sections are removed. Next, if you like, drizzle on a drop or two of Grand Marnier and a pinch of sugar. Finally, grate a fine dusting of good dark chocolate on top. What you'll get is a dessert that's sweet and juicy and won't leave you with that dizzy, leaden, "did I just eat twelve sugar cookies?" feeling you'd grown so accustomed to over the past few weeks.

— Dana Currier / Comments (0)