Candied Orange Peel

6 thick-skinned orange
water
sugar

Quarter the oranges and then cut out the flesh, leaving as much pith behind as possible. Set the orange flesh aside for another use. Cut the skin into slices and place in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

Make the liquid up to a 250ml with water and pour back into the empty saucepan. Add a cup of sugar, stir well to dissolve and bring to the boil. Put the orange peel back in the pot and simmer gently uncovered until the liquid has all but evaporated. This is where you need to keep a close watch that the sugar does not burn.

Spread some baking paper on a flat surface and lift out the pieces of peel, one at a time, letting any excess syrup drip off (1). There should not be much remaining anyway. The peel should not be too damp.

Allow to dry in the air for a couple hours then transfer to a cake rack and set aside for a further two hours. Place some white sugar in a bowl and roll each piece of peel in it (2). Set aside on a cake rack to dry off further (3) then store in an airtight container.

Instead of rolling the peel in sugar, I sometimes dip it in melted dark chocolate. It makes an interesting accompaniment to after dinner coffee.