Segment

A segment is one of the natural wedges inside a citrus fruit, each wrapped in a thin membrane. To segment a fruit means to separate it into those pieces. You can pull the segments apart by hand, which keeps the membrane on, or cut the flesh out from between the membranes with a knife, which is called supreming.

How to do it

By hand, for snacking and rough salads:

1. Peel the fruit and pull off as much of the white pith as you can.
2. Press your thumbs into the hole at the top and pull the fruit in half.
3. Separate the segments along their natural seams.

With a knife, for clean segments with no membrane:

1. Cut a slice off the top and bottom so the fruit stands flat.
2. Cut the peel and pith away in strips, following the curve, until only the orange flesh shows.
3. Hold the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice.
4. With a sharp paring knife, cut down along both sides of each membrane toward the center. Each segment falls out free.
5. Squeeze the leftover membranes over the bowl for the juice.

How to use it

• Toss knife-cut segments into salads with fennel, beets (beetroot in the UK) or avocado.
• Lay them on fish, duck or a dessert as a garnish.
• Use the juice that collects in the bowl in a vinaigrette.

Common mistakes

• Leaving thick white pith on the fruit. It is bitter and spongy.
• Cutting deep into the flesh when you remove the peel. Follow the curve closely and work in narrow strips.
• Using a dull knife, which squashes the segments and loses juice.
• Throwing away the peel before you take the zest. Zest the fruit first, then segment it.

In recipes

"Segmented orange" can mean either method, so check the context. In a salad or a plated dish it usually means knife-cut segments without membrane. "Orange segments" in a lunchbox or fruit bowl usually means pulled apart by hand.