Using preserved lemons

To use: Remove a piece of lemon from the liquid (some people say to use a wooden spoon to pull one out, I suppose to avoid some taint to the brine?) and rinse. Scrape out and discard the pulp (you can press the pulp through a sieve to obtain the juice for extra flavour). Slice the lemon peel into thin strips or small dice.

The peel acts like salt, because it’s so saturated, so be careful when salting a dish that you’re adding the peel to. Fabulous for scenting/salting rice or couscous, or baked chicken dishes. You can bake chicken or fish in a foil packet with a few strips of peel mmmm. I added some to my tuna sandwich today. It’s a subtle surprise every now and then. Extremely good in mashed potatoes.

We most often use preserved lemon in risotto (nice with asparagus or salmon added with the last ladle of liquid) or in a quinoa salad with orange peppers, cucumbers, and white onion. Put the diced preserved lemon peel in with the quinoa as it cooks, to let the grain soak in the salt and the very mysterious ancient lemon flavour.


Crab or shrimp spaghettini with preserved lemons

1/2 pound spaghettini or capelli di angeli
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
1/2 pound shelled cooked crabmeat, cut into 1-inch pieces, or peeled raw shrimp
1/4 preserved lemon rind, rinsed and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons salted butter

Cook spaghettini al dente. Meanwhile, sauté onion in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in sambal oelek and cook 1 minute, then add crabmeat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, just until crabmeat is heated through (or shrimp are pink). Stir parsley, lemon and butter. Drain pasta, then add to skillet and toss to coat well.


Israeli Couscous with Preserved Lemon and Butternut squash

1 preserved lemon
1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 3/4 cups Israeli couscous, about 1 pound (this is very good with quinoa too)
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (chopped almonds are fine, or just leave out)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 475°F. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste (not much! those lemons are salty!) in a large shallow baking pan and spread in 1 layer. Roast 15 minutes, until squash is just tender, and transfer to a large bowl.
Cook couscous with the cinnamon stick in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, until just tender.
Meanwhile, halve lemons and scoop out flesh, pressing through a sieve to extract juice for extra zing. Cut peel into 1/4-inch dice to measure ¼ cup (or more if you are addicted).
Sauté onion in 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to turn golden. Add to squash. Stir in the lemon peel and juice, 2 T olive oil, parsley, nuts, raisins, and ground cinnamon and let sit. Drain the couscous and toss with onion/squash melange.