From the outside, a blood orange appears to be a typical sweet orange (with a somewhat off-putting name). But slice one open, and you can’t help but be wowed by the gemlike flesh, which can range from deep ruby red to a dark maroon-y purple. That bold, opulent appearance is why the fruit was once reserved for royalty in Sicily. Thankfully, since making their way stateside around the early 1900s, blood oranges have become widely available to citrus lovers, including chef Rob McDaniel’s own version of royalty—his seven-year-old twins, who enjoy sipping the fresh-squeezed juice as a breakfast treat. “The juice is always a fun surprise for them,” says McDaniel, the executive chef and co-owner of Helen, in Birmingham, Alabama. “It’s more than a flavor experience; it’s also visual. At first you don’t know what to expect because of the bright red color. You are expecting orange, but it’s less acidic and a little sweeter.”
Most Southern-grown blood oranges hail from Texas and Florida. They’re tastiest and most vibrant in the winter months, when cooler temps activate the fruit’s anthocyanin compounds, which deepen the color while sweetening the flavor. When selecting oranges, skip any with soft spots, and always defer to the sniff test. “A good blood orange should have a floral aroma,” McDaniel says. “If it doesn’t have a fragrance, it’s probably underripe.”
With hints of raspberry and cherry, the fruit and juice play well in cakes, tarts, and marmalades. But blood oranges also shine in savory dishes, especially when you reduce the juice to concentrate the flavor for marinades, sauces, and dressings. McDaniel particularly loves to pair them with endive and thinly sliced beets for a beautiful winter salad that incorporates both orange segments and a juice-infused vinaigrette (see recipe). “I really like the color contrast between the oranges and the beets,” he says. “And the sweet flavor from the blood oranges contrasts well with the bitterness from the endive and the earthy flavor of the beets.” It just might be the perfect dish to serve friends who deserve the royal treatment.
