The son-in-law of one of my good friends is a lemon farmer here in Israel, and I have often been lucky enough to be the recipient of large quantities of lemons. So what do I do with all those lemons? I zest and juice them and freeze the juice in one-cup portions in small freezer bags. I also keep one or two whole lemons in the freezer to grate over chicken dishes or salads.
To make lemon zest, simply grind up the coloured portion of a lemon peel or thinly slice it using a sharp knife or a peeler. Be sure to avoid the white pith underside, which is bitter and will give whatever food it’s added to an unpleasant aftertaste. If you’re having trouble peeling the rind or plan to make a lot of lemon zest, you can pick up a tool called a zester to help.
Picking good lemons isn’t hard. They should be bright yellow in colour, firm to the touch, smooth and heavier than you might expect considering their size. (Chilling lemons makes them harder to juice and zest, but you can roll one back and forth with your palm on the counter, as you would a rolling pin, or pop it into the microwave for a few seconds to release the juice and soften the rind, making it easier to squeeze.)
Aside from the usual lemon pie, lemon squares, lemonade, etc., lemons are the key flavouring in countless recipes, and are almost as indispensable as salt for seasoning and enhancing dishes. Sometimes I’m asked what is in a dish that I’ve made – a delicious taste that they can’t quite put their finger on. It’s very often lemon. Adding lemon juice or zest can change the flavour and add extra zing to a dish.
Here are some excellent ways to use lemons:
• When cooking fish or chicken, place slices of lemon under it in the pan. It will add flavour and keep the fish or chicken from sticking.
• Replace vinegar with lemon juice in your home-made salad dressings (usually 3 tbsp. of lemon juice to 1 tbsp. of oil).
• Use lemon juice to marinate meat, poultry and fish. Use anywhere from 1 tbsp. to 1/4 cup lemon juice for marinades, depending on how much meat you use, how tender you want it to be, and how strong you want the lemon flavour to be. Allow poultry to marinate for 30 minutes to about four or five hours. Chicken is less dense than beef and it can usually pick up flavour within the first 30 minutes to an hour. Do not marinate fish any longer than 60 minutes.
• Serve fluffier rice by adding lemon juice to the water as it cooks. Boil the rice in water and squeeze in 1 tsp. to 3 tbsp. of lemon juice. If you want the fluffiness lemon juice provides while minimizing the amount of lemon taste that comes through, stick with 1 tsp. of juice.
• Add lemon juice in toward the end of the cooking process to prevent loss of flavour.
• Add a drop of lemon juice to your ice cube trays. Halve a fresh lemon, then squeeze it into the water when you refill your ice cube trays. A few hours later, you’ll have the perfect addition to any cool drink.
• Squeeze into soups, sauces, drinks. Bake into cakes, muffins and add to anything that contains mayonnaise.
Lemon-pistachio Israeli couscous
Based on a recipe by David Lebovitz, this is a delicious and unusual side dish.
o 1 lemon, fresh or preferably preserved
o 1/2 cup chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
o 2 tbsp. salted or unsalted butter, at room temperature
o 1/2 cup diced dried fruit (any
combination of cherries, cranberries, apricots, prunes or raisins)
o 1/2 cup unsalted (shelled) pistachios, very coarsely chopped (almost whole)
o 3/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
o 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
o 1 1/4 cups Israeli couscous or another small round pasta
Finely dice the lemon and discard seeds. Place in a bowl along with the parsley, butter, dried fruit, pistachios, salt and cinnamon.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the couscous and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and add it to the bowl of fruits and nuts, stirring until the butter is melted and all the ingredients are well mixed. Season with black pepper and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.