Greek yogurt with condensed milk and oranges

This recipe comes from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, a great book that focuses on memory and recipes from childhood, that was given to me by T.O.M for my birthday 5 years ago. The reason why Apples for Jam is such a lovely lovely book is that the chapters are arranged according to colour.  This just makes me so happy (and I know someone who it would make me even happier) – I seem to forget it’s arrangement every time, and when I open the book up I smile.  I mean, generally when I am looking for something to cook I am looking for ‘starters’ or ‘things to make tofu more interesting’ and not ‘yellow’ or ‘mulitcoloured stripes’. But it is all just so beautiful that its forgiven – sometimes I think that the world might be a happier place if more people started grouping things in their own special ways.

This recipe is from the chapter ‘orange.’ The more I think about it, orange seems to really sum up how I am feeling at the moment.  Its like being on the edge of a precipice and not really sure what is going to happen – are you going to stop or go? It tells you to get ready, but not necessarily what for. For me it signifies uncertainty and change. My brilliant flatmate Hannah pointed out that orange is possibly the colour that signifies how colour can have meaning, because of its excessive use and multiple meanings. And I think that is just beautiful.

Now this isn’t the most mind-blowing or involved dessert I have ever made, but sometimes a bit of simplicity is a good thing.  The yogurty-pudding base is rich and creamy, the perfect foil for the oranges.  I think that if I was to make this again I would add a little ground cardamom and saffron possibly to give it just the slightest hint of a shrikand (possibly my most favourite dessert ever).

Ingredients

2 whole oranges/ blood oranges – zest one of them

100ml sweetened condensed milk (this is only a small amount of a can – I now have a mug-full of condensed milk in the fridge and no idea what to do with it – all suggestions welcome

300g Greek-style natural yogurt

Serves 4

Cut away the skin from the oranges leaving no pith behind, slice them into substantial wheels and then in half.  Put the slices in a bowl to collect the juices, trying to save as much as possibly that it now currently rolling around the chopping board.  At this point Tessa suggests that you add some sugar to the oranges if they are not sweet enough – I say don’t, the condensed milk is sweet enough and actually a slightly sour orange would probably work better here. 

Put the condensed milk, half the orange zest and the orange juice that has collected under the slices (hopefully about 3 tablespoons-ish) into a jug, and slowly mix with the yogurt.  Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for a few hours so that it can settle and become thick and creamy.

Serve artfully in individual glassed layered with the orange slices, and a little of the remaining zest sprinkled over the top.