Deep in the interior of the island on the fringes of the barbagia is Nuoro. It seemed a cultural suicide, wielded by unsentimental politicos over this past half century, that smote Nuoro’s picturesque and pastoral life. This, the place on Sardegna where Stone Age man first set his fires, the place least contaminated by the passing of the millennia, was swiftly, gracelessly swept away by those compelled to gentrify her. Little has changed about the Nuoresi themselves, though. As best they can midst their fresh new proscenium of concrete, they still dance their simple rhythms, honor legacy and heritage with their reserved sort of gaiety. A sweet—once made only by the Nuorese massaie, farmwives—is now fabricated in crisp, shiny laboratories and sent then, in its handsome trappings and tassels, to elegant shops on the Continent. Still, the women cook their ancestral aranciata at home for feast days, sometimes tucking it into bits of lace, placing little pouches of it at everyone’s place at table, then hiding an old silvered tin of it in the back seat of a new friend’s automobile.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 2 pounds
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Using a swivel-handled peeler, shave the zest from the oranges, avoiding even the barest bits of the bitter pith.
Step 2
In a saucepan, cover the zest with cold water and blanch it for 1 minute. Drain the zest and refresh it under very cold water, setting it then to rest in a bowl of cold water, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. Change the water once a day for five days. This long bath sweetens the zest.
Step 3
Drain and dry the zest on absorbent paper towels.
Step 4
Place the zest and the honey in a saucepan over a quiet flame, permitting the zest to drink in the honey for 40 minutes. Off the flame, add the almonds, stirring, coating them with the honey and the zest.
Step 5
Pour the mixture out onto a pastry marble or a double sheet of parchment, leaving it to cool to tepid.
Step 6
With a sharp, wet knife, cut the confection into tiny squares. Leave the finished aranciata to cool completely before storing it in tins. Alas, this artisanal version of aranciata has only a short life, giving one the responsibility to see that every last chewy bite of it be dispatched within a few days.
