Pro bakers have a few tricks up their sleeve, and getting the most flavor from your zest is one of them. My sister just graduated from culinary school and when we're cooking or baking together in the kitchen, she'll inform me of things I should be doing differently. This past week, it was zesting an orange.
Sugar draws out the natural flavor of citrus, so when baking you should use it to your advantage, especially when it comes to zest. Measure out the amount of sugar your recipe calls for, then lay it out on a cutting board or flat surface. Zest your citrus right onto the sugar and, using your hands, rub the two together. The result? A very fragrant sugar and a noticeably tastier end product. I scoff at some of Rachael's tips, but this was a good one. I've used it twice already and and can now safely say I'm a citrus zest convert.
Related: Quick Tip: Freeze Citrus Zest
(Image: Megan Gordon)
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that's a great idea, definitely going to try it!
I put them together in the food processor before making lemon curd at work (I work at a wedding cake bakery)
brilliant! my mom used to zest her orange over her working/ingredients bowl and show me all the flavorful orange oil droplets flying into it... this totally works that to your advantage! just added it to my 'how to zest an orange' breakdown, thanks so much!
I don't think there is anything chemically going on to cause this to happen. Rather I think it is more the small crystalline structure of the sugar lacerating the zest to allow access to more of the oils that give you the smell and taste you are looking for. If that is the case, then I don't see why this wouldn't also work with salt for things like rubs, dressings, marinades, etc. Something to try anyway.
I always rub the zest into the sugar before baking or making curds. I find the suggestion to spread it out on a cutting board to be potentially a very messy one. If you use your fingertips, a bowl works equally well and contains any stray sugar better than a cutting board. It also lets you pinch and rub the sugar better than being all spread out.
It also smells HEAVENLY when you're doing it, and you can lick the delicious, zesty sugar off your fingers when you're done (washing them thoroughly afterwards, of course).
I do this also! Learned it from Dorie Greenspan, who I think learned the tip from Pierre Herme! I think it really maxes out the impact from the zest.
That works with savory ingredients too. I did the same thing with pork shoulder I braised in tomato sauce and served up on polenta. Made a gremolata of sorts with parmesan, chopped parsley, and blood orange rind in just the above way and sprinkled it on top. It added a nice snap to it!
Thnks for the tip,..
I also always zest over my ingredients. And for baking, like Monica, I zest into sugar and rub it in because Dorie Greenspan told me to.
Me too..........i always zest over the ingredients, or straight into the mixing bowl, don't want to loose the essential oils, to the work surface!
Oh that's a great tip, thanks! What I usually do is zest the fruit directly above the ingredients rather than on a board to avoid wasting the oils (got the tip from David Lebovitz but seems other readers like that one too).