A flavor bomb of preserved lemon skin, perfect for adding a burst of flavor to any dish. Great with oily fish, grilled meats, or on top of roasted vegetables.
Preserved Lemons
This recipe for preserved lemons is a must-have for any home cook looking to add a burst of flavor to their dishes. The preserved lemon skin, either finely chopped or sliced into thin strips, 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. The preserving process takes a few weeks but then you have the benefit of an end result that doesn’t go off.
Ingredients
- 6 unwaxed lemons
- 6 tbsp flaky sea salt
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 large red chilli
- juice of 6 lemons
- olive oil
Directions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Recipe from Ottolenghi the Cookbook by Ebury Press
- The jars used for preserving can be found in household shops, or you can reuse jars from other products, such as mustard.
- Once you get into the habit, you can just have a batch constantly on the go ready to use whenever you want.
- Be warned, though: once you get into the habit of adding these to your food, they become somewhat addictive.