This full-flavored Apricot Orange Jam is like a sunny breakfast nook. Your instinct will be to slather it onto a warm, fluffy slice of toast with a thick slab of butter, and you wouldn’t be wrong. But here’s a question: Why limit this jam’s star power to bread?
Bonnie Shershow, founder and jam-maker at Bonnie’s Jams, puts the apricot front and center in this smooth, rich, warm and hearty spread. The orange, citrusy notes come in from the wings and keep things light and bright, making it a perfect ingredient to cook with. Yep, we’re doing more than spreading jam on bread, folks, and life has never been better.
Below, three new ideas for getting your jam on:
Swirl Into Tea
In Russian tea culture, it is traditional to sweeten tea with jam. We know, right? Game changer! They brew hot water (kipyatok), add black tea (zavarka) to steep and then serve it with a pot of cream, a saucer of jam and something sweet to nibble on, like scones. The jam melts right away into the hot liquid, slightly thickening the tea and creating a creamy swirl when the milk is added. We’ve experimented with this. The Apricot Orange Jam adds a floral, citrusy note that goes well with everything from PG Tips to White Lemon Ginger.
Stir Into Rice
Apricots and orange water are staple ingredients used in Moroccan cuisine, so Apricot Orange Jam just makes sense. For our take on a Moroccan rice dish, steam some mixed grain rice and stir in a few handfuls of toasted, chopped almonds, roughly chopped mint leaves and several dollops of jam. Top with almonds and mint to garnish. Besseha!
Brush Onto Duck
Ah, duck à l'orange, the super-fancy, old-fashioned classic French dish of duck smothered in a sweet, sticky sauce made from reduced orange juice, orange peels and sugar. No time to play Julia Child? No problem. Here’s how to get the same delicious results using just one condiment:
Apricot Orange Jam Duck Breasts
2 duck breasts
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons Apricot Orange Jam
1 tablespoon butter, optional
DIRECTIONS
1. Score the duck skin (being careful not to pierce meat) in a crosshatch pattern. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Place duck breasts skin side down in a pan over medium-high heat and cook till fat renders and skin gets golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Turn the duck and cook for another 8 minutes.
3. Transfer to cutting board to let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt four heaping tablespoons Apricot Orange Jam in a small sauce pot, adding about a tablespoon of water to thin it out. If you want (you want), add a knob of butter.
5. Slice duck breasts, plate, and finish with a generous spoonful of jam-tastic sauce.
Merci, Bonnie’s Jams!