It has been a while, but way back some four or five months ago, I made some preserved lemons. Of course, it has taken until now to blog about them as it would have been useless to just write about making them without being able to write about the end result!
Let me tell you, the end result is impressive. So impressive. Lemons on steroids. Oh yes.
Now before I go any further, if you're new to preserved lemons let me explain that these aren't for use in a sweet capacity. No, they're for use in fish dishes, or Moroccan tagines, with lamb or pretty much anywhere you want the full power of lemon zest, but without the sharp tang of lemon juice.
I had been dallying around the edges of using preserved lemons in dishes for years. I even bought a jar of commercially prepared preserved lemons, used two and threw the rest away months later, having never gone back to them. However, they always stayed on the edges of my culinary consciousness and I always intended to get back to using them with some seriousness.
Then I began reading about people having made their own. About how easy it was and what a great result they got from being home made. Well, they weren't kidding on both counts. Making them is as easy as cutting and squeezing lemons - if you can do that, you're home and hosed. As for using them, well, I've only used them in one dish as of yet but I don't need anything more than that, they're phenomenal.
If you're one of the enlightened who use preserved lemons a lot but assumed they would be tricky to make - read on. Likewise read on if you're even just a tiny bit curious about them, as you really don't need to make a whole shedload of them. Your only restriction is the size of the jar you preserve them in!
So, here we go :
PRESERVED LEMONS
Ingredients :
Lemons - more unwaxed lemons than will fit into the amount of jars you have available
Sea or Rock salt - expensive or economical, it's up to you, but for approximately 5/6 lemons you will need at least 200g. Just make sure that it's salt with no additives.
Method :
Begin by sterilising your jar(s).
Heat your oven to 140degC/225degF/gas 1. Wash the jars in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Place the jars on a baking sheet and put them in the oven to dry completely. Allow them to cool and you're good to go.
The first step is to drop a small handful of salt into the bottom of the jar.
Next, taking your first lemon, cut a cross into each lemon so that it divides the fruit into four sections that are still attached at one end.
Sprinkle salt into the cuts, forcing it right into the deepest part of the fruit. Don't be mean about this - really cover each lemon in salt.
Then, push the lemon into the jar and, taking a wooden spoon, use the handle end to push, squeeze and flatten the lemon so that a) it takes up as little room as possible and b) a degree of its juice comes out.
Repeat with further lemons until the jar is full. I used a half and two quarters, along the line, to fill up the inevitable small gaps. Once your jar is full of lemons, check how much juice you have released. If the juice is up over the top of the uppermost lemon then that's what you want. If not, squeeze sufficient lemon juice into the jar until the uppermost lemon is covered.
Lastly, add another handful of salt and encourage it into all the little gaps.
Give the neck of the jar a good wipe clean and seal it up. Place it into a dark, cool cupboard and wait some four to five months. Every so often, visit your lemons and turn the jars over, just to ensure the juice is getting to everywhere.
At the end of the preserving time, open your jar with reverence and anticipation. You will find the juice has turned syrupy and the smell is just incredible.
To use your lemons, take as much as you will require for the dish and scrape away the flesh. Rinse the rind under a cold tap briefly to wash off the worst of the salt and chop, or slice your lemon how the recipe dictates. A good inaugural recipe is my Lemon & Caper Butter Cod, which enables you to enjoy the special flavour of your lemony efforts whilst resulting in a bit of a special dinner.
Just make sure to get a second batch on to preserve before you finish this batch. I reckon that once you've got them, you're not going to want to run out!
Printable version
Now, before I go any further with this one, let me just say that it was an enormous learning curve - and yes I did completely overcook hubby's piece of fish, rendering it more akin to a piece of cardboard. However, there was a reason for this - which I'll go into in a moment.
So, aside from the mackerel fillets which our neighbour had very kindly gifted us with after a particularly bountiful fishing trip, I had never pan fried a piece of fish before. What have I been doing in my fifty-mumble-years? Avoiding having to pan fry fish, that's what!
However, this week I found myself really attracted to the idea of a plain piece of fish - but didn't much fancy steamed. Well that only left pan frying, so as hubby has been hankering for fish for ages, I put it on the menu list.
On to the next problem, which was to source some fish. Having had a look at the wet fish - which was a parlous selection of River Cobbler or River Cobbler, I decided to go with frozen fish and bought a bag of Haddock fillets. I reckoned that 500g would just about do for us - at a squeak - but hadn't reckoned on the fact that a good 200g of that 500g was water.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), hubby was suffering with a terrible gastric conniption (similar to man flu, except involving the tummy) on fish night. No matter, thought I, son and heir and myself will just have to eat a little bit more fish. Poor deluded fool that I was.
I defrosted the fish and suddenly the bag seemed a lot lighter than it had been. Gulp.
Having opened it, I discover that the "fillets" were - to a fish - tail pieces that were so thin you could easily have read the newspaper through them. Not only that, but they were no bigger than an A5 envelope - and two were considerably smaller. ~rudewords~
Which is where hubby being off his feed, was a good thing. Stretched between two diners, with a little piece for hubby, the fish would just about make it. It certainly wouldn't have, between three hearty diners.
Owing to hubby's ailment, I figured that it wouldn't do to serve him any even remotely undercooked fish. As it was, we were crossing our fingers that the fish was going to stay where it was put. Which, coupled with my novice status as a fish cook, was why hubby's little wafer-thin piece of Haddock was more of a fish flavoured biscuit. Hey ho.
I did manage to over cook the remaining pieces, but not as badly, as they were slightly thicker. The whole process of making sure the pan was hot before placing the fish into the oil, then leaving the fish alone until turning it the once, was a huge learning curve. After all, the pieces of fish you see being cooked on the t.v. are considerably chunkier - and I suspect I should have had the pan a lot hotter and left the fish in it for a lot shorter a time.
However, it got that first go over with - and I'm sure that with a half serious piece of fish, I'd do a lot better. As and when I find some that's affordable, I'll let you know!
The pea and watercress puree was simplicity itself to make. I was conscious of not over-seasoning it - and so wound up under seasoning it - but it wasn't anything that a quick pinch of salt and some pepper couldn't fix. Everyone approved of the puree and even son & heir ate it, although he drew the line at his baked cherry tomatoes - strange boy! I'll definitely be using this recipe for pea puree in other, future dishes.
As you can see from the photographs, I also cooked some oven chips to go with it as I figured some fish and pea puree really wouldn't keep a teenager from the crisp packets all evening.
Having broken my duck over pan frying fish, I'd very definitely do it again. So if you've been avoiding it all these years like I had, take your courage in both hands and do it! You'll be glad you did.
PAN FRIED HADDOCK WITH PEA & WATERCRESS PUREE (feeds 3)
Ingredients :
150g cherry tomatoes, preferably on the vine
250g frozen peas
70g watercress
3 tbsp vegetable stock
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
3 x chunky haddock fillets
1-2 tbsp cornflour
olive oil.
Method :
1. Heat oven to 180degC/350degF/gas 4 and line a roasting tray with silver foil. Place the tomatoes on board and lightly salt and pepper. Then roast for 10-15 minutes until slightly split. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
2. Cook the peas in boiling water for 2-3 minutes to retain their fresh green colour. Add the watercress for just a second, then drain.
3. Return both peas and watercress to the pan and add the stock and spring onions. Season well.
4. Using a hand blender, puree until the mix attains the desired consistency and set aside to keep warm.
5. Dust the fish with a little cornflour, bat off any excess and season well.
6. Heat a non-stick frying pan and add the olive oil. Add the fish carefully so as not to splash the oil and leave to sear for 2-3 minutes (or longer if you're lucky enough to have a particularly thick piece) on each side.
7. Serve immediately on a bed of the pea puree, with the cherry tomatoes by the side.
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