All the citrus recipes you'll ever need

A pop of citrus and colour goes a long way to brightening those gloomy days.

Calamansi tart. Source: Maysie Lecciones

 --- The Cook Up with Adam Liaw airs weeknights at 7pm on SBS Food (Ch.33). All episodes are available anytime on SBS On Demand.  ---

 

Where would we be without the pop of citrus colour during winter? The brightest yellows, oranges, greens and somewhere-in-betweens lift our spirits as much as they lift our dishes.

Speaking of which, nothing cuts through the drudge of winter like a citrus dish. It's impossible to taste the tang and not feel a little summer inside. Who knows why citrus feels like hot weather when it grows in anything but?

We're not complaining, though. As these recipes show, during the cool months, citrus is all you need to feel warm about the world.

Start with a biscuit

A hit of mandarin adds intense flavour to an Italian afternoon tea favourite. Source: Alan Benson

Dried mandarin rind powder adds zip to white chocolate and pistachio biscotti. The best news is that you can use your new stash of dried mandarin powder any time of year to bring on the citrus cheer.

Some kinda cut through

Add a mandarin twist to a classic winter comfort dish. Source: Sharyn Cairns

Your standard cheesy cauliflower will never be enough once you add some mandarin zest. The sweet bitterness offsets the rich creamy sauce in a very memorable way.

Blood runs thick

Day started just right. Source: Benito Martin

Blood oranges are every bit as versatile as they are beautiful, as this thick, sweet marmalade proves. Actually, make a marmalade with all the citrus fruits. It's the way to really make their flavour shine.

Duck, duck, go

Don’t be scared of cooking duck - it’s really not as tricky as its reputation might suggest. Source: Benito Martin

Duck pairs perfectly with citrus, especially blood orange. The zesty pop in this braised duck dish balances the richness of the meat like a champ.

Or just play chicken

It's pretty clear how much orange loves chicken. 😍 Source: Brett Stevens

This roast honey and orange-glazed chicken proves that duck isn't the only poultry that loves orange. It's such a simple recipe that delivers huge rewards.

Sweeten the deal

They look amazing, but these cakes are basic-as to make. Source: China Squirrel

The only thing that could make orange more perfect is if the word 'syrup' appears after it. Especially when that syrup is spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and poured over the cake.

Lime of the times

The comfort of rice pudding with the pep of citrus. It's sure to make everything feel better. Source: Chris Middleton

If you make one pudding this month, make it this one. A special rice pudding made with coconut milk, lemongrass and makrut lime leaves. It tastes as fresh as the winter dawn.

Curry up

Fresh, clean flavours make this eggplant and pumpkin green curry one you'll make again and again. Source: Sharyn cairns

Makrut lime and lemongrass (such a happy pair) add depth to a vego green curry. Citrus prevents coconut milk and other creamy ingredients from becoming too rich and over-bearing. The result is a lighter, more layered curry dish that is endlessly satisfying.

Lemon bello

Short, buttery pastry, tart custard filling and a sweet, fluffy meringue topping - who could possibly resist? Source: Rochelle Eagle

It had to be lemon meringue tart. Lemon at his most charming.

Lemon breezy

Two hours of roasting is never enough. Source: Adam Liaw

Adam Liaw says to just whack half a pumpkin into the oven and leave. Only to return hours later to drizzle it with lemon pepper butter and get stuck in. Our kind of recipe!

Special mention

The added Campari-soaked tangelo pieces really hit the high notes. Source: Alan Benson

Some of the lesser-known citrus fruits are well worth exploring. Tangelo has an intense tartness that it desperately wants to hide with a fresh sweetness that sings. Hear the music in this tangelo cheesecake.

Ruby hues-day

No cooking is needed to bring a winter salad to the table. Source: Alan Benson

Ruby grapefruit is so delicious in a salad that you'll soon find yourself slicing them in whenever you see a green vegetable. This salad is full of textures and crunch.

Toss another grapefruit

A colourful way to get your winter greens in. Source: Danielle Abou Karam

Grapefruit does tend to wind up in salads a lot, proving that they are not just for the warmer months. Or maybe proving citrus fruit's uncanny knack for making us feel summery. Either way, enjoy your scallop salad.

Citrus fusion

Such an amazing combination of salty-sweet flavours, all jamming with the zest of finger lime. Source: Outback Gourmet

When native finger limes meet haloumi and pawpaw, the crowd goes wild.

Brittle bang

This is the sort of sweet you can get happily lost in for days. Source: Warndu Mai (Good Food)

This sweet and sour candy goes crackle, crunch, pucker. It's sweet from the caramel, sour from the tangy finger limes and perfect in every way.

Small, but mighty

Calamansi goes oh-so well with a condensed milk meringue and buttery gingersnap biscuit base. Source: Maysie Lecciones

Filipino calamansi tastes like a cross between a lime and a mandarin. It's every bit as yummy as that sounds, especially when in calamansi tart form.

Yuzu you

Cor blimey. ああすごい Source: SBS VICELAND

Another small but mighty citrus fruit, this time from Japan. It's at its best when squeezed over karaage chicken. But then, everything is.

Soufflé landing

Cotton soft cheesecakes (or soufflé cheesecakes as they are known in Japan) are light, soft, fluffy and addictive. Source: Alana Dimou

Think of a cheesecake that's so light and soft it's practically airborne. Then bring it back to earth with a lemon and yuzu jam landing. It's the ideal trip.

Cumquat, that's what

Middle Eastern cooks sure know how to love filo pastry. Here it's by stuffing it with cheese and cumquats then drowning it in an orange blossom citrus syrup.

Snap it up

The tiny fruit adds sweet decoration to the baked fish, too. Source: Alan Benson

Infusing fresh cumquats through gently baked fish is a heavenly way to make a very easy meal. The tartness of the fruit brings out the flavour of the fish and the juice keeps everything lovely and tender.

Lime on

Biting into these clean flavours will make you feel like you're on a Venezuelan beach in 35°C heat. Source: The Latin Kitchen

Lime is pretty much the perfect citrus fruit. Not too tart, not too bitter, not too sweet. It's almost like every other citrus fruit got together and made lime. Let it shine on in recipes like these arepas with lime and garlic prawns, which keeps things simple.

Lovely lime

The coconut lime dressing adds incredible flavour to these marinated lovely legs. Source: Luisa Brimble

Everyone loves a recipe where you lay everything on a tray in the morning, leave it to mingle all day and then slide it into the oven in the evening. Minutes to make, an hour to bake and you've got a dinner the crowds will go wild for.