Citrus fruits from sunnier climes will brighten the dullest winter day

On the face of it, blood oranges look exactly the same as their regular name sakes. Nothing on the outside belies the decadent, ruby red flesh that’s revealed when you cut through the skin.

Each one is different – the blood reference could be a smattering of mottled red nestling among the segments or it could be a full blown sphere of lush scarlet. The wonderful enigma is that you never know until you slice.

They are at their sweetest now due to cold nights that have followed warm Mediterranean winter days. The best varieties come from Sicily and though not cheap, they provide a burst of sunshine to an otherwise dreary month.

Some retailers have tried to rename them “blush” oranges in case people find the word blood upsetting but the word blush really doesn’t cut it in terms of describing the robust, decadence that belies this fruit. Citrus generally is at peak condition and you could substitute regular oranges – they just won’t have that sultriness. If a regular orange is a good old reliable pair of slippers, blood oranges are the Loubitons of the fruit world – not for everyday use but will make you feel absolutely fabulous. Use them as you would regular oranges, although they are a bit sharper. On a savoury note, they can be segmented and made into a salad with roasted beetroot and oily fish like salmon or mackerel. They’re not around for long so make the most of them.

For the first recipe this week blood oranges are made into a curd to serve with an orange cake. This confection of oranges, butter, egg and sugar is lovely with the cake but will keep in the fridge to have with hot buttered toast or folded into yoghurt at breakfast.

Italian lemons are starting to appear in good greengrocers now. They’re misshapen, vibrantly yellow and have some leaves intact. It’s nice to imagine some swarthy Italian picking them in the winter sunshine to end up in Northern Ireland. The other recipe here is a savoury one using lemons to add flavour to chicken. The chicken is marinated in lemon zest, oil and garlic and it’s roasted with the lemon halves. The scorched lemon is squeezed over the chicken to make a zingy dressing. Roasted peppers and salami crumbs are added to the top.