Orange Pound Cake

To blanch oranges, place them in a large pot and cover with tap water (cold). Bring to a boil, remove oranges and rinse. Fill an appropriate container or same pot you used for blanching the oranges with water, and set up your circulator to 186.8ºF/86ºC. Cut off orange ends, quater and cut off unnecessary remaining white parts. Bag oranges first in the bag, add sugar and vacuum-seal immediately otherwise the juice escape from the bag during vacuum-sealing. It wont happen if you do it with a professional vacuum-sealer. Cook oranges for 6 hours. Flip bag after a couple of hours to redistribute the sugar which has turned into syrup. After cooking, let bag out to cool off and refrigerate overnight or for up to 6 months. Poached oranges can be used as a base to make orange butter for game and duck dishes...

Follow the same procedure as explained above for blanching and cutting. Then place the oranges in a saucepan and add 400g sugar and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook on very low simmer for about 2 hours; uncovered. Turn the heat off and leave oranges in the saucepan to cool off. Store oranges in a sealed container for a week or so. Drain and squeeze excess juice prior to use.

Grease molds with cooking spray or soften butter and flour. Sift together flour and baking powder and set aside. In your blender, mix together the chilled and squeezed poached orange quarters along with the oil and cold crème fraiche for about 20 seconds or until smooth (do not over mix or it will heat up and separate). In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the orange compound with the eggs, sugar, salt and powders. Fill up prepared mold(s). At this juncture, the filled molds can kept refrigerated for up to 48 hours prior to bake.

Since glazed or candied or confit orange peels last for months, make a large batch and keep refrigerated for later use such as panettone. Scrape two-third of the orange flesh out left on the poached orange quarters (save excess orange flesh for your next breakfast, carrot puree, salad...) Cut orange peel into batons and then cubes. In a saucepan, add the cubed orange along with cooking juice and sugar. Add vanilla if desired and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.