I can’t remember when I first tried a Honeybell (a cross between a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit), but it must be at least ten or fifteen years ago. I discovered Honeybells because Allen Cushman, now a friend of mine, brought them up to QVC and sold them on air. I remember how stunned I was to see how much juice he was able to squeeze out of just one ‘orange’ and I just had to try one. Now I enjoy Honeybells every January without fail. Indeed, seeing the Honeybells arrive is practically how I tell that another year has passed! Every year I battle between whether or not to eat them (with a bib on), just juice them and enjoy their nectar, OR do I incorporate them into my cooking and create something sweet and delicious. The good news is that for this one month of the year, when Honeybells are at their peak, you don’t have to choose - you can do all three… but only in January! So… get your squeeze on!!
I know you’ve got the eating and juicing down, so here are some recipes to use those Honeybells at every time of day.
Mixed Greens with Honeybells, Endive, and Pecans
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Honeybells
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup pecans
5 ounces mixed greens
2 heads endive, sliced ½-inch on the bias
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
- Squeeze the juice from half of one Honeybell into a mixing bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper and whisk together.
- Lightly toast the pecans, either in the oven on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes or so, or in a dry skillet on the stovetop.
- Place the mixed greens into a salad bowl. Slice the endive and add that to the bowl along with the fresh parsley leaves. Peel and segment the remaining one and a half Honeybells and add them to the salad. Toss the greens with the vinaigrette and serve.
- For a tasty indulgence, add some crumbled blue cheese to the salad.
Honeybell Glazed Pork Loin Roast
Serves 8
Ingredients:
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Honeybell juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/3 cup Madeira wine (or water, if preferred)
3 to 4-pound boneless pork loin roast
1 Honeybell, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- To make the glaze, whisk the brown sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl to break up any lumps. Then transfer the mixture to a cold skillet or saucepan, along with the mustard, Honeybell juice, grated ginger and Madeira wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF and heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork loin with salt and pepper on all sides. Brown the pork on all sides in the skillet. Brush the roast with the Honeybell glaze and place the slices of Honeybell across the top of the roast. Pour all the remaining glaze over the roast.
- Transfer to the oven and turn the oven down immediately to 350ºF. Roast the pork for 45 minutes, basting with the glaze every 15 to 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the pork should read 155ºF when finished. Remove it from the oven and tent with foil. Once the pork has rested, pour the remaining glaze from the roasting pan over the top, slice and serve.
Tagliatelle with Honeybells and Fresh Herbs
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound Tagliatelle
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Honeybell zest
1 teaspoon fresh basil, shredded
1 teaspoon fresh mint, shredded
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Honeybell juice
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Heat at least 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Salt the water well. When at a rolling boil, add the tagliatelle to the pot and stir once.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the butter, Honeybell zest and fresh herbs to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Add the Honeybell juice and simmer to reduce the liquid to approximately two thirds of its original volume. It should thicken slightly. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain it well and toss it into the skillet with the sauce. Turn out onto a large heated platter or bowl and top with the grated Parmesan cheese and a few more fresh herbs.
- This can serve 4 as a main course, or 6 to 8 as a side dish. Try it with the Baked Honeybell and Hazelnut Chicken.
Baked Honeybell and Hazelnut Chicken Breasts
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ Honeybell, juiced
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1 Honeybell, zested
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
¼ cup all purpose flour
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.
- Combine the egg and the juice from half a Honeybell (enjoy the other half in a glass!). Combine the breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, Honeybell zest, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each chicken breast in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and then coat the chicken breasts with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the coated chicken breasts on a cookie sheet.
- Bake the chicken in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is firm and the juices run clear.
- You could even cut this chicken up and toss it into the salad above!
Honeybell Mint Granita
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
6 Honeybells (about 3½ cups juice)
sugar (if needed to taste)
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
2 tablespoons mint (or basil), thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Directions:
- If you want to serve the granite in the orange skins, slice the tops off the Honeybells and hollow out the inside with a grapefruit knive or spoon. Do this over a strainer over a bowl so that you can catch all the insides of the Honeybell, along with the juice. Press the Honeybell pulp in the strainer to extract as much of the juice as possible. Chill the hollowed out orange peels in the freezer.
- If you are just making the granite to serve in martini glasses or small bowls, slice the Honeybells in half and juice them. You should end up with about 3½ cups of juice.
- Add sugar only if needed to sweeten the juice. Stir in the orange liqueur and the mint and pour the mixture into a shallow baking pan. The liquid should be no more than 1 inch deep. Place the pan in the freezer and let it solidify for one hour.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and scrape it with a fork or spoon to break up what has frozen. Return it to the freezer for another hour. Repeat the scraping and return it to the freezer for another hour. Do this until the granite is the desired consistency.
- Serve in the hollowed out orange peels or in martini glasses with a sprig of mint on top.
Honeybell Marmalade
makes 6 - 12 oz jars
Ingredients
4 Honeybells, washed
2 qts water
6 ½ cups granulated sugar
Directions
- Cut the Honeybells and remove any seeds. Use a food processor to chop the unpeeled Honeybells, two at a time. Puree until the pieces of Honeybell peel are the desired size. (If you do not have a food processor, you can juice the Honeybells by hand, scrape the pith away from the peel with a spoon, and cut the peel into strips with a sharp knife. Needless to say, the food processor saves a lot of time, and a lot of energy!)
- Transfer the pureed Honeybells to a large (at least 5 quart) stockpot and add the water. Bring this mixture to a simmer and simmer, with lid askew, for 2 hours.
- At the end of simmering, the peel pieces should be very soft. Add the sugar and bring the mixture back to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for another 2 hours or until the mixture thickens to a spread-able consistency. To test the consistency, spoon a little marmalade onto a freezer-chilled plate. Let this sit in the refrigerator for a minute or two and then examine the consistency.
- Carefully transfer the hot marmalade into sterilized* glass jars, being careful not to spill any of the hot mixture onto your hands. Place the lids on top and tighten. Refrigerate.
(*You can sterilize your glass jars by boiling them in water for 10 to 15 minutes and then allowing them to dry on a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively, place clean jars into a 350º F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.)
