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 P
Dorset
L E N T Y 
The Vital Ingredi ent
Clementines
C
8
Sweeter than an orange, easier to peel and with no pips,
Tom East salutes the magic mandarin
lementines were once considered such a big treat that they were one
of the main attractions of a Christmas stocking. Admittedly, today’s
kids would probably prefer to find a LEGO Minifigure or an L.O.L.
Doll at the bottom of their sack, but the tradition has continued
in many households. It’s easy to see why it has endured – clementines are
sweetest of the sweet mandarin oranges.
Together with tangerines and satsumas, the clementine is a type of
mandarin, the smaller, flatter oranges that are easier to peel and less tart
than their big brothers. Tangerines retain some of tartness of an orange
and have pips, while satsumas are slightly tangy, but have a milder flavour.
However, peel a clementine and pop one of the segments into your mouth
and you’ll get a burst of unadulterated sweetness.
At their best from November until February, clementines come in after
the last of the apples have fallen off the tree, when we need that big shot
of vitamin C to lift our spirits for the dark, cold winter months ahead.
Because they’re so sweet, they’re arguably the best citrus fruit to eat raw,
but then the tartness of the juice from bigger oranges helps cut through
the fat in the retro French dish duck à l’orange, and it also works with
oily fish like mackerel. However, clementine’s extra sweetness helps lift a
winter salad made with bitter leaves, and it is also very good in cakes.
A clementine and almond cake is a great gluten-free alternative to
Christmas pudding, but if you do fancy making a special steamed sponge,
try a chocolate pudding with a whole, peeled clementine in the middle.
As anyone who has ever enjoyed a Jaffa Cake (who hasn’t?) will know,
chocolate and oranges are great mates, so bake a clementine loaf cake
with chocolate icing, or if you’re feeling adventurous enough to make your
own eclairs, pump cooked choux pastry shells full of delicious clementine
cream and top with melted chocolate. You can also enjoy clementines in
jelly, giving it a grown-up twist by adding Prosecco to the clementine juice.
Talking of bubbly booze, try a clementine cocktail, preferably one made
with champagne and Campari. Cheers!
Oh My Darling Clementine
Small ones are more juicy
Clementines are
This clementine
Because of their loose
They were first
the smallest of the cake is great with a skin, clementines are brought to the UK
mandarin oranges. warming cup of tea.
easy to peel
in the 19th century.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk
Clementine Pavlova
Ingredients
4 medium egg whites
250g caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 clementines
1 pomegranate
300ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp flaked almonds
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 150°c and line a baking sheet
with baking parchment. Draw a 9 inch circle on the
baking parchment (use a plate to make this easier).
2. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they
form stiff peaks. Keep whisking while adding the
sugar, one tablespoon at a time to mix it in. Finally,
whisk in the vanilla, vinegar and cornflour.
3. Spoon the meringue mix onto your baking
parchment, smoothing it out into a circle. Make sure
the sides are higher than the middle. Bake for one
hour and then turn off the oven and leave it to cool
inside.
4. Meanwhile make the clementine cream. Juice four
clementines and whip with the cream and sugar in a
large bowl.
5. Toast flaked almonds in a dry frying pan until
slightly brown at the edges. Peel and segment the
remaining two clementines.
6. When the meringue is cool, remove it from the
oven and spoon the clementine cream into the
middle. Decorate with your clementine segments,
scatter over the pomegranate seeds, toasted
almonds and serve.