CHOCLATE KUMQUAT SPRING ROLLS

Make sure you use thin spring roll wrappers, which can be found in Asian markets, not egg roll wrappers.

Makes 3 dozen spring rolls, about 10 servings

Ingredients

5 whole kumquats, cut into 1/4-inch slices and seeded,
juices reserved
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Thirty-six 5-inch square spring roll wrappers
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Canola, vegetable, or other neutral oil for deep-frying

Directions

Put the kumquat slices and their juices into a small saucepan, add the cream and salt, and warm over medium heat just until bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat.

Put the chocolate into the bowl of a food processor and pour the hot kumquat cream over it. Let sit for 2 minutes, then process until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Add the egg yolk, Grand Marnier, and butter and process to combine.

Line an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan and transfer to the freezer. Freeze, uncovered, until completely hard.

Unmold the chocolate bar and peel off the plastic wrap. Cut the bar lengthwise in half, then cut each half crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. You should have 36 chocolate bars.

Lightly brush the entire surface of a spring roll wrapper with a bit of the beaten egg. Turn the wrapper so that you see a diamond, and lay a chocolate bar across the end closest to you so that the ends of the bar meet the edges of the wrapper to form a triangle. Take the corner of the wrapper closest to you and wrap it around the chocolate, then roll the chocolate away from you one full rotation. Tightly fold the sides in toward the center, then continue to roll up to the end of the wrapper, making sure the end is tightly sealed. Set on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and chocolate. Freeze the spring rolls for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 days; take them out only when you are ready to fry them.

Fill a saucepan with oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350F. When the oil is ready (a tiny pinch of flour will sizzle), add a few spring rolls, taking care to not crowd the pan, and cook, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain 350°F, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cook the remaining rolls.

Serve warm.

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CHAMPAGNE KUMQUAT-TANGELO MARMALADE

Makes about 12-24 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound kumquats
1 whole tangelo or tangerine**
1 bottle champagne
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions

Chop kumquats coarsely and remove seeds.

Thinly slice tangelo/tangerine and remove any seeds.

Bring to boil all ingredients. Reduce heat.

On low heat for a light bubbling simmer, reduce to thick syrup stage  about 2 hours

** Substitutes: Tangerine (Mandarin/Satsuma, Citrangequat, Taiwaniquat, Citrange, Orangequat

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PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH KUMQUATS

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1/2 cup orange juice or tangerine juice
1/2 cup seeded, thinly sliced kumquats
1 clove shallot, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 fresh green jalapeno, seeded, finely diced
1 tsp honey

6-8 whole sea scallops

1 Tbs butter
2 tsp olive oil

cooked basmati or jasmine rice

1-2 tsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbs pistachios, chopped

Directions

Combine juice, kumquats, shallot, lime juice, jalapeno, and honey in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Pat scallops completely dry with a paper towel before cooking to produce less splatter and to sear more effectively.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil. Once melted and bubbly, add the scallops; cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and browned and just opaque in the center.

Arrange rice on plates; add 3-4 scallops, and top with kumquat sauce. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and pistachios.

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MARMALADE GLAZED BABY CARROTS

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh baby carrots
1/2 cup marmalade
(Champagne Kumquat-Tangelo Marmalade!!)
1 Tbs water
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, until carrots are tender.

About 15 minutes before serving, make a paste of the cornstarch and cold water; stir into carrots.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

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"PRESERVED" KUMQUATS

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

1 pound kumquats
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water

Directions

Use a knife to cut a slit at both ends of the kumquat, or stab the kumquat several times with a (sterilized) needle.

In a medium saucepan, add the sugar to the boiling water at medium-high heat, stirring. Turn the heat down to low, cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the fruit. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until the kumquat is tender (Adjust the heat up or down as needed to keep at a simmer; the total cooking time should be about 45 minutes).

Place the kumquats in sealed jars and refrigerate.

Joe

Besides cumquat marmalade which my FIL and now recently late stepdad love, I do brandied cumquats- stab several times with a needle (or I poke all the way through from two directions with a two-pronged meat fork, makes four holes at a time so two pokes = 8 holes :-) ), pack into jars covering with sugar as you go. Slowly pour in brandy or vodka to cover the lot. Leave to sit at least a month then enjoy over icecream or as garnishes on desserts.

Melt Sweet chocolate over double boiler. (add sugar if you use bittersweet). Dip to cover in chocolate, cool, eat :-)

collenoz can I get your kumquat marmalade recipe? I'd love to try it.

Thanks everyone for all the recipes. I ended up making a lemon grass kumquat relish and served it over salmon - a big hit at dinner tonight

loves2cook, it's very easy!
Wash, and finely slice the cumquats across the middle, removing seeds (this can be a little tedious :-) I do it watching TV or something). If you have a cutting board with a gutter around the edge to catch the juice so much the better.
Weigh the cut up cumquats and then put in a non-reactive bowl with twice their weight in water. So, if you have 1lb of cumquats, say, you'll need 2 pints of water. Leave overnight.
Next morning, gently simmer cumquats and water until soft. Add twice the weight of the cumquats in sugar (so, for 1 lb of cumquats, 2lb of sugar), simmer until sugar dissolves and then boil rapidly until setting point is reached. You need to stir so it doesn't catch, but stirring lowers the temperature and delays setting which makes the marmalade darker, so use discretion and don't stir constantly. I use a spoon that has the front edge cut straight across so it scrapes across the bottom and moves everything.
You need a fairly large pot as it will boil up quite high. As it gets closer to setting point the size of the bubbles decreases, so by the time it's at setting point it almost looks like fine champagne foam. Test by drizzling a small blob onto a cold saucer you have placed in your freezer for this very purpose :-). Push it gently with your finger- it should wrinkle a little across the surface.
When setting point is reached, pour into warm, sterilised jars and place lids on while hot. If you wish to process your marmalade you'll need to find out how from an American. Australians and Brits don't process jams and in over 20 years of jam making, since I lid as soon as the jam goes in, I've never had jam go mouldy or otherwise.
Hope this helps!