Candied and Preserved Cumquat Recipes

The following are resources I have referenced:

Preserved Cumquats
500g cumquats + water
625g sugar
1 cup water

Prick the cumquats just once with a skewer.  Bring 3 cups water to the boil, add the cumquats and gently simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain.
Place the sugar and cup of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil then boil for 20 minutes.  Add the cumquats and boil for 15 minutes.
Serving suggestion:  serve with blue cheese as a savoury taste sensation, or more traditionally with ice cream for a dessert.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/2009/06/the-knack-of-cumquats.html

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Candied Kumquats
100 grams sugar
100 grams water
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded
1 pint of kumquats

Bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan (enough to cover the kumquats) and add the kumquats. Blanch them for about 30 seconds and drain them. Discard the water. Repeat the process two more times. This will eliminate any bitterness from the kumquats.

Make a simple syrup with the first three ingredients by bringing them to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the blanched kumquats and simmer for about 15 minutes in low heat. You can drain them, let them dry and coat them in sugar or you can store them in the simple syrup in the refrigerator.

http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/2009/01/candied-kumquat-and-pistachio.html

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“Kumquat Preserves from Christine Mansfield’s Desserts. I’d never made any sort of preserves. The process was long, but fairly simple. You soak the fruit and seeds in water overnight, boil them for a while, let the mixture rest, and then boil it again until it sets a bit. This stuff is killer- I will try and take a picture of the finished product when I crack open a jar .”

http://pghtasted.blogspot.com/2007/03/experimenting.html

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The following is a response from Bodega Tapas when I asked them how they prepare their cumquats:  “Cut the cumquats in half and boil in water until the skin is soft.  Drain the water.  Add new water and sugar to the cumquats.  (The mix must be 60% sugar to preserve the cumquats for longer).  Reduce the mixture over a low heat”.

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Candied Kumquats
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
9 ounces kumquats (about 25 medium), thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed

Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add kumquats; reduce heat. Simmer until kumquat slices are translucent, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool kumquats in syrup. Strain kumquats, reserving syrup. Combine kumquats and 1/4 cup syrup in small bowl. Return remaining syrup to same saucepan; boil until reduced to 1 & 1/4 cups, about 8 minutes.

http://epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Orange-Cheesecake-with-Candied-Kumquats-240424

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Tracy Rutherford’s Spiced Cumquats
1kg cumquats
1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125mL) water
1 cinnamon stick
6 lightly crushed cardamom pods
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1. Halve the cumquats lengthways and prise out any pips. Combine the sugar, water and cumquats in a large saucepan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the spices, stir to combine. Cover and bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon into sterilised jars (2 x 500mL or 4 x 250mL) and seal tightly. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Refrigerate after opening, and use within 6 weeks.
Note: these are great with roast duck or pork.
Cumquat Marmalade
2 cups cumquats, washed and sliced
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups sugar

1. Wash and slice fruit finely and remove seeds (but don’t throw the seeds away).
2. Place the fruit in a large saucepan, cover with water and soak overnight (or for around 8 hours). Put the seeds in a separate container (such as a cup) and soak in a small amount of boiling water. Leave overnight.
3. Next day strain the liquid from the seeds. Discard the seeds and add the water to the cumquats. Cook gently on a low heat until the fruit is tender and the liquid is reduced by half.
4. Add the sugar and lemon juice. When all the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and boil rapidly until the mixture jells (around 30-45 minutes). Tip: stir often, or the marmalade will burn!
5. To test if the marmalade is jelling, spoon a little onto a cold saucer. If a skin forms, and it glazes on the surface and wrinkles when touched, it is ready. If it is still runny, boil for a little longer and test again.
6. Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

Cumquat brandy
750g cumquats
500g caster sugar
750mL bottle brandy
sterilised 1-litre sealable jar

Wash and dry the cumquats, the prick each of them several times with a fine skewer or needle. Place a layer of cumquats in the jar, then sprinkle with sugar. Arrange another layer of cumquats, sprinkle with more sugar, and keep on doing this until you have used up all the cumquats and sugar. Now pour the brandy over the cumquats (you probably won’t use all of the brandy), seal the jar and place in a dry dark place, such as a cupboard. For the first week, turn over the jar once each day to help dissolve the sugar. Then, after that, turn over the jar once a week to keep on mixing things up. The whole thing should be ready in three months. The idea is that you can eat the cumquats and drink the brandy, too!

For a sweeter result, use more sugar, but don’t use less. The cumquats are fairly tart, so they’ll be hard to eat with less sugar used.

http://burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Food-Health-and-Nutrition/Cumquat-recipes/3107

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http://gourmettraveller.com.au/ricotta_and_semolina_budino_with_candied_cumquats.htm

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http://gourmettraveller.com.au/semolina_porridge_with_candied_cumquats.htm

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http://gourmettraveller.com.au/gin_and_lime_tart_with_confit_cumquats.htm

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Masterchef Australia on Ten
Oranges are cut into pieces, placed in a saucepan, covered with caster sugar then some water and brought to the boil, then allowed to cool, then brought back up to the boil and then cooled again to make candied orange.

http://www.masterchef.com.au/video.htm?vxSiteId=fefcb37d-8e38-4dbc-a768-e8bb503ed226&vxChannel=CatchUpTV&vxClipId=2664_215MCTT130509&vxBitrate=300&vxTemplate=MasterChef_Index.swf&vxClickToPlay=false

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Cumquat Tart with Candied Peel and Vanilla Ice Cream

Cumquat Tart with Candied Cumquat Peel and Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
225g plain flour
45g pure icing sugar
125g chilled unsalted butter, diced
2 egg yolks (from 59g eggs)
Eggwhite

Filling
1/2 – 3/4 cup preserved cumquats pureed with cumquat syrup
6 Eggs (room temperature)
250g caster sugar
150-200ml pure pouring cream (min 35% fat)

To Serve
Candied cumquat peel
Pure icing sugar to dust
Extra caster sugar for carmalising the top
Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or thick double cream

To make the pastry, place flour and icing sugar in a food processor and process to combine. Add butter and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks one at a time and process until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.

Press into a flat disc and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 15 -30 minutes to rest or until firm enough to roll out.

Grease a 24cm x 3cm deep tart loose-based tin with softened butter.

Remove dough from the refrigerator, roll out on a lightly floured bench to a thickness of 3-5mm.

Carefully lift the pastry using your rolling pin and line the tart tin with the pastry. Gently press the pastry along the sides to ensure you have an even thickness.  Trim excess dough. Left over dough is handy for any small repair jobs required!
(Alternatively you can trim some excess dough leaving an extra 1-2cm dough overhanging. When the pastry is baked, there will be some shrinkage and the excess pastry can then be trimmed after it is cooked by slowly and gently rolling the rolling pin over the tart tin to cleanly remove the excess pastry).

Prick the pastry base all over with a fork, cover with cling wrap and return to the fridge for a further 15-30 minutes to rest and allow butter to become cold and solidify.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Remove pastry shell from the refrigerator, line with baking paper and fill with raw rice or pastry weights ensuring the rice is flat and pushed up against the side of the tin.  Blind Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the pastry is baking, prepare your filling.  Break 6 eggs into a large bowl and using an electric whisk, start whisking the eggs until well combined then gradually add the sugar and whisk until you have a pale, thick mixture. Whisk in the cumquat puree then the cream.

Remove rice and paper and return tart shell to the oven and cook for a further 5-10 minutes to dry out the pastry until it is firm to touch and is golden brown. Be careful not to overcook the pastry otherwise it will over brown and crack.   You can combine reserved eggwhite with some cold water and brush the inside of the pastry and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. This will seal the pastry.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven.  You can at this point set aside the pastry shell to cool in the tin to use the next day if preparing the pastry shell ahead of time.

Reduce oven to 150 °C.

Place the tart shell on a baking tray and carefully pour the cumquat custard into tart shell and bake for at least 25 minutes or until just set. It will continue cooking when removed from the oven. Don’t worry if it has separated into two layers (noticeable when it is cut). Set aside to cool.  If preparing this ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove tart from tart tin.  Cut into serving portions. Sprinkle the top of each slice with caster sugar and use a kitchen blowtorch to cook the sugar until it bubbles, then caramalises and forms a shiny, hard tortoiseshell surface.

Place each slice individually on a plate sprinkled with icing sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or cream and candied cumquat peel.

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Cumquat Panna Cotta and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Cumquat Coulis

Cumquat Panna Cotta with Cumquat Coulis

Panna Cotta with Cumquat Coulis

Serves 4 – This recipe makes 2 Vanilla Panna Cottas and 2 Cumquat Panna Cottas.

Ingredients
350-400ml pouring cream (min 35% fat)
100ml full cream milk
1 1/2 leaves of gelatine
60g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
Approx. 3 tsps homemade pureed candied cumquats (seeds removed)

Heat milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan and gently bring to simmering point.
Divide mixture evenly into two bowls.
To one bowl add 1 split vanilla pod with scraped seeds and let the flavours infuse.
To the other bowl stir in cumquat puree.
Soak gelatine leaves in a little bit of milk for a couple of minutes – first soak half the gelatine leaves until softened and remove leaves from the milk and add to the cumquat mixture, stir thoroughly then pass the cream through a fine mesh sieve into 2 dariole moulds.  Now soak the other half of the gelatine leaves until softened, remove the vanilla pod from the second bowl and add the the gelatine leaves, stir thoroughly then sieve the mixture into 2 more dariole moulds.
Place the 4 moulds into the fridge to set for at least 6 hours or overnight.
To serve, dip moulds briefly in warm water, then invert onto plates.  You may need to use a knife to run around the inside first before trying to plate.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with finely sliced candied cumquat rind and cumquat coulis.

Notes:
This amount of mixture doesn’t quite fill the 135 ml dariole moulds to the top.

Sources:
LifeStyle Food
Gourmet Traveller

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Cumquat Soufflé

Cumquat Soufflé

Ingredients
2 eggs separated
25 g + 25g caster sugar
3-4 tsps pureed candied cumquats (see previous post for recipe)
Extra caster sugar for dusting ramekins
Softened butter to coat ramekins
Salt
Icing Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.
Thoroughly brush ramekins with softened butter. Brush up the sides to create a “path” for the soufflé to rise.  Then dust the inside of the ramekins with caster sugar by turning the mould around until the inside of the ramekin is thoroughly coated with sugar. Together the butter and sugar will facilitate the rising.
In a bowl, cream the egg yolks with the first 25g sugar, until pale and the sugar has dissolved.
Add the candied cumquat puree, mix and set aside.
In a separate clean bowl (copper, if you have one), whisk the egg whites with a tiny pinch of salt. When you are ½ way to peaks forming, add ½ the remaining sugar, followed by the rest shortly after. Whisk until thick and shiny soft peaks form.
Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks until well combined then carefully turn and fold through the remaining egg white mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the soufflé moulds or ramekins all the way to the top and level the mixture but be very careful not to drip any mixture on the side otherwise you will have to wipe it clean and the soufflé will stick when cooked.  This quantity will fill 2x270ml ramekins.
Bake the soufflés at 190C for 15 minutes for these sized ramekins – cooking time will vary between approximately 8-15 minutes depending on the size of the moulds used.
Dust the soufflés with icing sugar and serve immediately.  You can break a hole in the centre of the soufflé and drop in cold whipped cream.

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