I believe the first time I had candied kumquats was at Bier Mrkt of all places. My parents were visiting Toronto and we had stopped in there for a beer and a snack. On their meat and cheese board was this delicious sweet, tangy, and somewhat bitter jam. After this first taste, it has become my go-to condiment to elevate a cheeseboard.
When making a cheese and meat board I try to make sure I have the following flavours and textures covered:
Sweet - usually in the form of a jelly or jam, like these candied kumquats or fig jam
Salty - prosciutto, speck, or another salty cured meat
Spicy - genoa salami, chorizo, or another spicy cured meat
Or: hot pepper jelly (both sweet and spicy!)
Briny - pickles, olives
Smooth/creamy - goat cheese, Boursin
Hard - aged cheddar, manchego (my favourite cheese!)
Soft - fresh sliced french bread or baguette
Crunchy - crisp crackers, nuts
Kumquats usually come into grocery stores in Canada in March/April and can be found in the citrus area of your grocery store.
The kumquats pre-candy!
Candied Kumquats
15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup of kumquats, washed (up to 1.5 cups)
½ cup white sugar
¼ cup water
Method:
Quarter your kumquats and remove any seeds
Add to a small saucepan with sugar and water
Bring to medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves
Turn down to low heat and continue to simmer until the kumquats become translucent and the syrup has thickened (it will thicken more when it cools)
Chill until ready to serve!