Candied Kumquats

I couldn't resist these beautiful "citrus gems" so I decided to buy some. I did candy them and will use them in a chocolate dessert I am making for my second interview at a local restaurant. According to this book kumquat means "gold orange" in a Chinese dialect, and indeed they look like little oranges.




When I did a pastry internship at the restaurant Chez Panisse I learned a simple recipe to candy this dainty fruit which I had never used before. Because kumquats have a relatively thin pith they don't need to be blanched before being candied, making the process really fast. The only annoying part is the removal of the seeds, as kumquats are really seedy.






Candied Kumquats

Kumquats
Sugar
Water

Slice the kumquats thinly and remove all the seeds and the little stems.
Bring equal parts of sugar and water to a boil to make a simple syrup (i.e. 1 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar).
Add the sliced kumquats to the warm syrup and simmer covered with parchment paper until the fruit is translucent (10-15 minutes). Cool down and store airtight in the refrigerator. The kumquats covered in syrup keep for weeks.