Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons are a staple of North African cuisine that are called for in two recipes in this book, Onion and Saffron Chicken (page 295) and Roast Pepper Salad with Tomatoes and Preserved Lemon (page 193). But you can add them to almost any tagine—chicken, fish, or lamb—with excellent results. In fact, if you have a batch of these on hand, you may find yourself incorporating them into dishes that have nothing to do with their land of origin, things like Sautéed Scallops with Garlic (page 211), or as an adjunct to the fresh lemon in the meunière recipe on page 240. I’d had mixed luck with preserving lemons over the years and, while I can’t quite account for why that was, I can say I’ve worked out a way around it: treat preserved lemons like a “quick” or refrigerator pickle. The spices listed here are optional—feel free to omit them, change their quantities, or add to them to taste. They’re included to round out the sweet lemony high note and salty, acidic tang that characterizes the flavor of the preserved lemons.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 quart
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sprinkle a 1/4-inch-deep layer of salt across the bottom of a sterile 1-quart canning jar. Nestle a layer of quartered lemons into the bottom of the jar, sprinkle liberally with salt, then repeat, adding the spices as you go. Stop when the jar is about three-quarters full and squeeze the remaining lemons into the jar—seeds and all—so that the fruit is completely submerged in the lemon juice–and–salt brine. (If you don’t have enough lemons on hand, top the lemons off with freshly squeezed juice the following day.)
Step 2
Set the jar out on a counter and vigorously shake it once a day for 7 to 10 days—during this time it will start to bubble a little and the dried spices will swell back to their original size. (You’ll be surprised at the size of the cloves!)
Step 3
Transfer the jar to the refrigerator and let the lemons continue to cure for another week before using them. (The lemons will keep for at least 2 months in the refrigerator, though you’ll probably want to get into them sooner.) When they have cured, unscrew the lid. After a moment, they should smell sweet and citrusy. An ammonia smell means they’ve gone wrong somewhere along the line and should be discarded.
Step 4
To use in stews, blanch the quartered lemons in unsalted boiling water for 10 seconds, just long enough to leach out a little of the salt. For salads or quick-cooked dishes, scrape the flesh away from the peel, discard the flesh, and blanch the peel in unsalted boiling water.
