Flaming Orange Peel

Use the essential oils in citrus peel to add fragrance to a dish or beverage without adding acidity. Chef Allen's orange mojito (fresh mint, sugar, lime juice, orange juice and rum) gets a dramatic sendoff when the bartender ignites the oil in a strip of orange peel before dropping it into the drink.

Tip: Citrus fruits are lightly coated with food-grade non-animal source wax to replace the natural wax removed when the fruit is washed at the packinghouse. The wax prevents shrinkage and thus extends shelf life. It has no flavor or odor, so you can safely and successfully use waxed fruits for grating or zesting.

Orange-Scented Peppercorns

Peppercorns infused with orange oil add an unexpected fragrance to fish, chicken, pork or beef. Spread peppercorns on a work surface. Roll an orange over them to extract the essential oils in the peel. Crack or grind the peppercorns and use immediately. Essential oils are volatile, so use these flavored peppercorns off the heat.

Citrus Dust

Dried tangerine peel is a key flavoring in many Chinese dishes, especially with poultry and fish. Contemporary Western chefs have adapted the idea, making a powder of the aromatic dried peel and using it in spice rubs and crusts or as a plate garnish. You can dry citrus peel in a dehydrator or in the oven. Chef Allen likes to candy the peel first, sometimes adding cinnamon stick or star anise to the sugar syrup to introduce another flavor to the dust. After drying the peel slowly, he uses a spice grinder to reduce the peel to a powder.

• Mix tangerine dust and toasted cumin as a crust for seafood or chicken.

• Mix orange dust and fennel seed as a crust for fish.

• Make a caramelized garlic and lime crust for pork. Vary the peel according to the ethnic character of the dish (lemon dust for a Moroccan dish; pummelo dust for a Thai dish; kaffir lime dust for a Vietnamese dish).

Preserved Lemons

Moroccan-style salted lemons take only moments to make and a few weeks to cure, then you can keep them on hand for months. Discard the pith and use only the peel, which will have a tangy fermented taste. Add julienned or minced preserved lemon peel to vinaigrettes, salads, braised chicken or fish. Chef Allen adds the julienned peel to a fresh herb and shaved lemon salad, which he serves with grilled fish and ceviche.