Chios Nerantzi Glyko Koutaliou (Νεράντζι Γλυκό Κουταλιού)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy pot, 28cm
• •large needle and kitchen string, for threading coils
• •2 sterilized glass jars, 500ml each
• •cold saucer, for testing syrup

Instructions

1. 1

   Score the peel

   Wash the bitter oranges well. Cut off the top and bottom of each fruit, then score the peel from top to bottom into 6 long strips, cutting through the peel and white pith but not deep into the flesh. Lift the strips away carefully. Keep the flesh for marmalade or juice if you like; this sweet belongs to the peel.

2. 2

   Roll the coils

   Trim away only the thickest excess pith if the oranges are very heavy-skinned, leaving enough white to give the sweet its chew. Roll each strip tightly, glossy orange side outward, and secure it with a whole clove or thread several coils together with kitchen string and a needle. Tight coils matter. Loose ones open in the pot and you lose the old shape.

3. 3

   Blanch the bitterness

   Put the coils in a wide pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Repeat this blanching twice more, always starting with fresh cold water. This is the step that decides nerantzi. Bitter orange peel is proud stuff; three waters tame it without washing away its perfume.

   Taste a tiny edge after the third blanch. It should still have a clean bitter note, but it must not scrape the back of the throat.
4. 4

   Rest the peel

   Cover the blanched coils with cold water and 30ml of the lemon juice. Leave them for 2 hours, or overnight if the oranges were especially sharp. Drain well, then pat the coils dry with a clean towel so the syrup stays clear.

5. 5

   Start the syrup

   In a wide, heavy pot, combine the sugar and 750ml water. Bring to a steady boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 8 minutes, until the syrup looks clear and lightly glossy. Add the drained coils and the lemon verbena or geranium leaf, if using.

6. 6

   Cook the sweet

   Simmer gently for 35 to 45 minutes, shaking the pot now and then instead of stirring hard. The peel should turn translucent at the edges and the syrup should fall from a spoon in a slow, heavy drop. Skim any foam. Add the remaining 30ml lemon juice in the last 5 minutes to keep the syrup from sugaring later.

7. 7

   Test the syrup

   Drop a little syrup onto a cold saucer. When it cools, it should sit in a soft bead and move slowly when you tilt the plate. If it runs like water, simmer 5 minutes more. If it stiffens like candy, add 2 tablespoons water and warm it gently. We want syrup, not punishment.

8. 8

   Jar and mature

   Remove the herb leaf, if used. Pack the hot coils into sterilized jars and cover completely with hot syrup. Seal, cool, and leave the jars for at least 3 days before serving. The peel relaxes in the syrup and the bitterness rounds itself. Serve one coil on a small plate with a glass of cold water, the old polite way.

Chef Tips

• •Use unwaxed bitter oranges if you can find them, especially in winter when the peel is thick and fragrant. If the fruit is waxed, scrub it hard under warm water. The syrup will remember what was on the skin.
• •Do not chase all the bitterness away. Nerantzi should not taste like orange candy. It should be sweet first, floral second, and just bitter enough at the finish to make you reach for water.
• •Store the jars in a cool dark cupboard. Once opened, refrigerate and keep every coil under syrup. Serve with Greek coffee, thick yogurt, or a plain slice of cake, not a pile of decorations.

Advance Preparation

• •The sweet is better made at least 3 days ahead so the peel softens and the syrup settles.
• •The blanched coils can sit overnight in cold lemon water before the syrup stage.
• •Sterilize the jars before you begin the final syrup boil so the hot sweet can be packed without waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 30g)