Caramelized Orange Salad

The Caramelized Orange Salad brings a new dimension to the classic orange dessert. The fruit is cooked for just a few minutes in a sirup of melted brown sugar, Grand Marnier and vanilla bean. What’s not to love? This is an upgraded rendition of a very simple dessert; it is not overly sweet but the magical powers of the sirup enhance the fruit aromas. The toasted almonds bring a nutty flavor and some crunch to this delightful salad.

This dessert is very easy to prepare. You can serve it warm, at room temperature and cold of course.

… “yes” you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or make it more special and offer a few slices of caramelized orange with homemade chocolate truffles.

Bon appétit!

Caramelized Orange Salad

Recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 oranges
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 vanilla bean (cut a vanilla bean in two, exposing the internal seeds and use just one quarter of that. Reserve the rest of the bean in the jar and save for future use)
1/4 teaspoon Grand Marnier
Toasted slivered almonds for serving

Directions
Prep all the ingredients.
You will need one large frying pan.

Peel the oranges, making sure to remove all the white parts of the peel and preserving as much flesh as possible. Cut each orange into slices (approx. 1cm thick). Set aside.

In a large frying pan, put the sugar, water and vanilla bean. Let it melt over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Lower the heat to medium-low and let it reduce and thicken for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the splash of Grand Marnier and mix gently.
Cook the orange slices in the bubbly mixture 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a serving dish.
You can eat this dessert warm or cold.
Serve topped with toasted slivered almonds.

It pairs perfectly with Chocolate Truffles.