Orange Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Rinse and dry the oranges. With a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the outer peel of three of the oranges, in strips. Don’t take off any of the bitter white pith—if you do, trim it away from the strip. Put the strips of peel in a small saucepan, 2-quart or so.

   Step 2

   Cut the oranges in half and squeeze to get out all the juice: you should have a bit more than a cup. (Juice another orange if you have a cup or less.) Add the juice to the saucepan along with the leek pieces, cinnamon stick, and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a perking boil, and let the sauce cook for about 30 minutes, reducing to about a third of the original volume.

   Step 3

   Pour the sauce into a sieve set over a bowl. Remove the cinnamon stick and the pieces of peel (wiping them off and saving any juices), then press and scrape the leek pieces with a spoon or spatula to retrieve as much liquid as you can.

   Step 4

   You should have about 3/4 cup of orange “soup.” To thicken this into a sauce, whisk the butter into it bit by bit.

   Step 5

   Serve the sauce hot. Reheat on the stovetop if necessary, and whisk until smooth.

2. Good With . . .

   Step 6

   Cauliflower

   Step 7

   Parsnips

   Step 8

   Turnips

   Step 9

   Leeks

   Step 10

   Celery root