Mid winter coincides with peak citrus season. Suddenly my fruit bowl has transformed into an overflowing still life study of  vibrantly hued, sweetly scented lemons, oranges and mandarins.  Summer’s limes have given way to cooler climate lemons, and lately I’ve taken to substituting mandarins for oranges in both my sweet and savoury cooking.

Highly prized in China, plump, round mandarins with their golden glow have long been considered to be auspicious symbols of good fortune and abundance. Once upon a time  they were strictly reserved for royalty, and were  named after the deep orange robes  traditionally worn by mandarins; high ranking Chinese officials of the Imperial Court. Fittingly, mandarins also pair beautifully with classic Chinese flavours. Think of rich and luxurious soy braised duck paired with mandarin and five spice; star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Szechuan peppercorns and fennel.

Bright and juicy,they’re sweeter and less acidic than their more conventional cousins, imparting a gentler, more reserved citrus tang. With a thinner pith the delicate peel is also much  less bitter, providing a perfect winter seasoning; effortlessly peeled into long spiral strips, freshly zested, or as I recently discovered, dry roasted and  finely ground into a powder.

The process couldn’t be easier. Simply  place very  finely sliced whole mandarins in a slow oven to dry roast until shatteringly crisp . You will be rewarded with gorgeously burnished but delicate slivers of intensely flavoured mandarin. Choose organic fruit if possible, and remember to scrub well  and dry thoroughly before slicing with a very sharp knife. I abandoned my mandolin in this instance as I found the very juicy fruit tended to disintegrate into a sodden mess. ‘When roasted use a spice grinder to pulverise  into a fine, intensely flavoured citrus powder.

Sweet or spicy? You choose. Here are two variations to get you started.  A Sweet Mandarin Infused Sugar or Spiced Mandarin Salt. Ready to impart an intense citrus flavour burst and brighten up a dreary winter’s day.

Sweet Mandarin Infused Sugar

1 medium sized mandarin, washed, dried and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar

PREHEAT oven to 120 C.
ARRANGE thinly sliced mandarins in a single layer on a large baking paper lined oven tray.
DRY ROAST  for  2 hours until dry and brittle.
PLACE into the bowl of a spice grinder or small food processor with sugar and grind until fine.
STORE in a jar for up to a month. Sprinkle over fruit compote, stir into porridge or rice puddings, infuse into custard or cream, add to sweet batter or dough for an intense citrus flavour burst.

Spiced Mandarin Salt

1 medium sized seedless mandarin, washed, dried and thinly sliced
4 heaped tablespoons flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

PREHEAT oven to 120C.
ARRANGE thinly sliced mandarins in a single layer on a large baking paper lined oven tray.
DRY ROAST  for  2 hours until dry and brittle.
PLACE into the bowl of a spice grinder or small food processor with sea salt and Chinese five spice powder and grind until fine.
STORE in a jar for up to a month. Add to marinades and dressings, spice rubs, stews and slow cooked dishes, and roasted meats and  vegetables for an intense citrus flavour burst.