Preserved Lemon
Pungent and concentrated in flavor, preserved lemons are popular in Moroccan and Middle Eastern cooking. To use them, pull the lemon flesh away from the rind and discard. Give the rind a brief rinse in cold water, then dice or chop and add to a dish at the end of cooking. I use preserved lemons in my Artichoke Dolmades with Lemon Sauce (p. 20). They also add a distinct flavor to couscous and cracked wheat salads. You’ll want to use them sparingly (a tablespoon or two is typically enough) so they don’t overpower other flavors. This recipe doubles or triples easily.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 cup
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cut 6 of the lemons lengthwise into quarters and juice the other 2.
Step 2
Pour 1/4 cup salt into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, then place a third of the lemon quarters on the salt. Cover lemons with another 1/4 cup salt. Repeat with remaining lemon quarters and salt, ending with salt, then pour the lemon juice over the top.
Step 3
Put the lid on the jar and place it on a shelf at room temperature for 10 days to 2 weeks, shaking or turning the jar upside down once a day. This ensures that all the lemons will be immersed in brine. After 10 days, take out one lemon quarter and pull the pulp away from the rind. If the rind is completely saturated with the brine (there will be no white left under the pulp), then refrigerate the jar. If it is still a little white and chalky looking, shake the jar again and leave on the shelf a few more days.
Step 4
Add a tablespoon or two of the chopped rind to recipes as needed. Preserved lemon will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
