Winter

Rustic blood orange and chestnut budino

by:
February 23, 2011
4
2 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Well this is not exactly virtuous, but it is a healthier version of a very delicious semolina budino I discovered this summer from a wonderful cook who had featured sweet red cherries. In my version I have cut way down on the butter, introduced chestnut flour, eliminated most sugar, used the Italian sapa from Nudo, http://www.nudo-italia.com/products/22, as well as chestnut honey, and feature blood oranges. Out of season you could make this with a decent orange substitute. I did make one version with no butter, but it was really way too virtuous. You can see a version finished simply with a splash of sapa and the other topped with a generous portion of the blood orange conserve sauce. I suggest trying the blood orange liqueur Solerno if you want a boozy version. —Sagegreen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • The pudding
  • 3 jumbo eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons sapa (or an artisan balsamic vinegar as sub)
  • 4 tablespoons softened butter
  • 1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
  • 3-4 ounces chestnut honey, to your taste
  • zest from 1 blood orange (or your best orange sub if not available)
  • 1 teaspoon Meyer's lemon zest and 1 tbl. of Meyer's lemon juice, optional
  • 2 ounces juice from blood orange
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup semolina flour
  • 1/8 cup Italian chestnut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  • butter or oil for ramekins
  • splash of Solerno, Grand Marnier, or GranGala, optional orange liqueur
  • splash of sapa mixed with fresh blood orange juice, optional finish
  • fresh blood orange rind for garnish
  • An additional sauce option
  • 4 ounces organic blood orange conserve (or one from Seville oranges can sub if needed)
  • 3 ounces white wine
  • 2 tablespoons sapa mixed with 1 tbl. of fresh juice
  • rind of blood orange for garnish
  • dollop of creme fraiche, marscapone, or whipped cream, optional
Directions
  1. The pudding
  2. Beat the egg whites until fluffy and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350.
  3. Combine the egg yolks, sapa, butter, muscovado, and honey smoothly together. Add the zest and juice. Then whisk in the buttermilk.
  4. Gradually add the flours, baking soda, and salt to the mix. Beat lightly. Fold in the egg whites.
  5. Pour the mix, dividing it among 4 buttered (or oiled) ramekins. Set the ramekins into a larger baking pan filled with enough hot water to come up between 1/3 and 1/2 the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and then plate. For a boozy option, pour a splash of orange liqueur over each budino; let soak in. Then splash some sapa mixed with half as much fresh juice and rind garnish on top, if desired.
  1. An additional sauce option
  2. Stir the blood orange conserve together with the white wine and heat until the wine is reduced. Cool slightly. Pour over the plated budinos, as another option. Add orange rind, a splash of sapa combined with juice, and other garnish, such as marscapone, to finish.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • TiggyBee
    TiggyBee
  • drbabs
    drbabs
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • hardlikearmour
    hardlikearmour
  • Sagegreen
    Sagegreen

9 Reviews

TiggyBee February 26, 2011
Simply beautiful!
 
Sagegreen February 26, 2011
Thanks, TiggyBee!
 
drbabs February 24, 2011
love
 
Sagegreen February 24, 2011
Thanks, drbabs.
 
AntoniaJames February 24, 2011
This looks deadly, virtuous or not. Great recipe!! ;o)
 
Sagegreen February 24, 2011
Thanks so much, AJ!
 
hardlikearmour February 24, 2011
Do you think verjus would work as a sub for the sapa?
 
Sagegreen February 24, 2011
An interesting idea. I think it would be a little different, but possible. I think of verjus closer to white wine/vermouth and a white baslmic and sapa closer to a smoky caramel red and a red baslmic vinegar.
 
Sagegreen February 24, 2011
....did not mean to misspell balsamic wrong twice.