Preserved lemons
We often say that we like ‘bursts of flavour’ in food that is otherwise comforting. We like the ability for a dish to both comfort (through its familiarity) and also delight (through an element of surprise). This surprise, or burst of flavour, can come in many ways: through a sprinkle of the astringent and lemony spice sumac on some simple scrambled eggs, for example, or some sweet-sour iranian dried barberries stirred through the mix for a frittata or a rice-based salad. the biggest flavour bomb of them all, though, is preserved lemon skin, either finely chopped or sliced into thin strips. preserved lemon works well with all sorts of dishes – a must with any oily fish, great with grilled meats, a nice change on top of roasted vegetables – so have a play around and experiment. Be warned, though: once you get into the habit of adding these to your food, they become somewhat addictive. in the shops, we get our mustard in lovely tall Kilner jars, which we then use to store our preserved lemons when we make up a batch. The jars are widely available to buy in household shops, though, if you can seek a couple out. Once you get into the habit, you can just have a batch constantly on the go ready to use whenever you want. The preserving process takes a few weeks but then you have the benefit of an end result that doesn’t go off.
Recipe from Ottolenghi the Coobook by Ebury Press
Ingredients
6 unwaxed lemons
6 tbsp flaky sea salt
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 large red chilli
juice of 6 lemons
olive oil
Method
1. Before starting, get a jar just large enough to accommodate all the lemons tightly. To sterilise it, fill it up with boiling water, leave for a minute and then empty it. Allow it to dry out naturally without wiping it so it remains sterilised.
2. Wash the lemons and cut a deep cross all the way from the top to 2cm from the base, so you are left with 4 quarters attached. Stuff each lemon with a spoonful of salt and place in the jar. Push the lemons in tightly so they are all squeezed together well. Seal the jar and leave for at least a week.
3. After this initial period, remove the lid and press the lemons as hard as you can to squeeze as much of the juice out of them as possible. Add the rosemary, chilli and lemon juice and cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Seal the jar and leave in a cool place for at least 4 weeks. The longer you leave them, the better the flavour.