It’s blood orange season, y’all, and I am over the moon about it! Blood oranges are my absolute favorite of all citrus fruits. They are the kings of citrus, if you will. Royalty among the mundane, everyday grind of lemons and limes. They have a mellowness to them that normal navel oranges do not possess and their color is like the vibrant sunset over winter fields.

Am I laying it on a bit thick?

Yeah, maybe so, but I don’t care because blood oranges are a bright spot in the cold, dead midwinter.

My kids pointed out the other day that many of my favorite winter foods that I have been making were kind of… drab. Delicious, but ultimately just delivered in varying shades of brown. I’m sure this has happened to you too, if you think about it. We get caught up in soups and stews and chilis, utilizing the winter bounty of potatoes, mushrooms, and beans, and we lose some of that vibrant, healthy-looking color that makes summer food so appealing. It’s not that winter crops aren’t just as vibrant- look at beets and broccoli! - but the warm gravies and sauces tend to cover that.

Enter citrus.

While most of us tend to associate the vibrant taste of Meyer lemons, grapefruit, and oranges with summer dishes like fresh salads and fish, citrus should really start taking more of a roll in our winter cooking for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is health.

Citrus fruits are rich in multiple nutrients such as vitamin C, flavonoids, and fiber which confer vascular protection, reduce inflammation, improve gastrointestinal function and health, and play an important role in preventing conditions like diabetes, cancer, neurological disease. These nutrients can be essential as most people go into "hibernation mode" in the winter, eating fattier foods and becoming more sedentary.

Another reason, of course, is cost. It is always more budget friendly to load that grocery cart with snacks and ingredients that are seasonal.

Lastly, it can’t hurt to vary the flavors of our meals when potatoes reign and gravy flows like the rivers of the Nile across our dinner plates. You don’t have to jump straight to a summery shrimp scampi, but a lemon and rosemary trout with some fresh rolls is always a fun, light twist. You can jazz up an Asian night with zesty orange chicken, or even just lift yourself from that heavy dinner with a lemon meringue pie.

There’s a multitude of ways to use citrus. The juice is an easy add, whole pieces can be thrown into sauté with veggies or meats, and the rind can be zested like a seasoning, but when I want to add a quick citrus zing to my cooking, my favorite place to turn is Farmhouse’s selection of infused olive oils. Meyer Lemon and Persian Lime are definitely noteworthy, but my favorite is- I bet you can guess- Blood Orange.

Mixed with our Aged Cabernet vinegar, the blend produces such a sweet and decadent vinaigrette that we call it “Dessert on a Salad”. Mixed with brown sugar and teriyaki sauce, it becomes my favorite glaze for salmon. You can even use this with a boxed brownie mix to replace the oil and wind up with fudgy brownies that tastes like everyone’s favorite memory of Christmas’ chocolate oranges. There’s so many applications, that I could list forever, but I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes using our Blood Orange Olive Oil: Chicken a l’Orange.

This recipe is a play off of Duck a l’Orange, a very popular vintage dish. But, as it can be a bit difficult to source duck breast, I’ve replaced it with chicken thighs and legs to keep that same fat and moisture. You could use chicken breast as well, but I recommend bone in for moisture. You’ll have to really watch your temp and time for boneless chicken breast.

Ingredients

8 shallots peeled and halved lengthwise (quartered if large)

2 tablespoons Blood Orange EVOO, divided

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

4 leg quarters cut into pieces (4) individual thighs and (4) individual legs.

1 orange, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 Orange (check out our Citrus Juicer)

2/3 cups sugar

¼ cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon White Traditional Balsamic

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Toss the shallots onto the prepared baking sheet with a tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste.

In a pan on the stove, lightly sauté the orange slices in remaining EVOO to get caramelization, then deglaze with the Vinegar and set aside.

In a separate pan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat until caramel-colored - do not stir. Remove from the heat and add the orange juice and chicken stock and rosemary. Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook until slightly thickened. Add the reserved orange segments and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut up the chicken into individual legs and thighs. Then place the chicken into the bowl of rosemary orange glaze and toss to coat.

Remove the chicken from the bowl and place onto the baking sheet nestling the pieces among the shallots.

Place the chicken into the oven, skin side down for the thighs, and bake the chicken for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. Turn the pieces over and baste the rosemary-orange glaze onto the chicken with a basting brush.

Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake, until chicken has browned and cooked through (165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer) and the shallots are tender; for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the chicken to cool slightly. Serve warm with your favorite sides!