I’ve been thinking about preserved lemons; it seems every second Moroccan recipe I pick up calls for preserved lemons. I love the tang of a freshly squeezed lemon; I love the colour of lemons, the wake-up call a squeeze of lemon gives to almost anything…so why not preserved lemons? I was a bit concerned about the salt, but most of the recipes call to rinse the salt off, and I even found one called to blanch the preserved lemon in boiling water for 30-60 seconds to remove some of the bitterness the pith and the skin may cause. Well, that’s practically insurance that I will love it. I decided to make only two, to give it a try.
I researched several recipes and they were pretty much all the same: steralize jar, cut lemons, salt, press firmly into jar to extract as much lemon juice as possible, if not enough juice came out, fill with more lemon juice, leave for a few days at room temperature, pressing down every day, then refrigerate. The recipe I loosely followed was a David Lebovitz recipe (he is an American chef living in Paris). I added the suggested cinnamon to mine and WOW! Salt and cinnamon really have an affinity. Next time, I will add a cinnamon stick so it doesn’t mess up the lemon juice as much!
I can hardly wait to try this in a month!
Hi Eva–Thanks for turning me on to Moroccan Braised Beef. That would really hit the spot now that autumn has finally arrived today (we had two weeks bonus summer in Chicago!). I’m not a fan of sherry though. I’m hoping adding more of the “dry red wine” in its place will be ok.
– Michael
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Hi Michael, we have friends in Yorkville Illinois, so we keep on top of the weather. It’s been glorious here in Toronto too! I’m sure the red wine would be fine in this recipe (it works in Bœuff Bourgignon, so why wouldn’t it work here?). We’re still evaluating which we like better, the Moroccan Braised Beef or Bœuff Bourgignon?
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Next time I make a batch, I’ll give the cinnamon a whirl.
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It’s incredible how the cinnamon compliments the lemon!
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MMMMMMM that sounds great! I have never had preserved lemons with cinnamon but I can almost taste it… it would be delicious!!! Great job Eva!
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Thanks Manu, we had a Moroccan lamb dish tonight that would have been even better with some preserved lemons.
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Just this morning, on a rebroadcast of Sara’s Secrets, chef Sara Moulton had a Moroccan chef as her guest – he owns a restaurant in Atlanta. I immediately thought of you. Coincidentally, one of the dishes he described was preserved lemons. I thought they sounded good when he spoke of them but your addition of cinnamon makes them even better.
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Thanks John. Wow, it’s funny how the world works, the way things link together! I’m really looking forward to trying them!
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I have always loved lemon preserves and have never tried them myself. This looks like a great way to jazz it up!
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Thanks Ashley, it’s an interesting experiment!
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I love lemon anything so this is right up my alley. Great stuff.
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Thanks Greg, really looking forward to using them!
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I’ve always wanted to make these too! well done and thanks for the link to the recipe 🙂 And I love the addition of cinnamon!
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Thank Lorraine, definitely use a stick obit doesn’t muck it up.
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What do you eat with preserved lemons? I remember I made a batch (about 8 bio lemons) and left there for half a year without knowing what to do…another half a year passed by….well….still zero idea what to do with them…totally waste..I really hate that…but really nobody wanted them ;-(
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Hi Angie, try chopping them finely and adding to anything that calls for lemons or lemon juice. David Lebovitz* uses them finely diced with sautéed vegetables; he also suggests adding finely mashed preserved lemons in butter with some fresh herbs, then smeared on top of grilled fish or a caramelized roasted winter squash. As well he adds them chopped to tapenade, and even adding some finely-chopped little pieces to lemon ice cream. Lots of uses. I hope you enjoy them! *pls see David Lebovitz’s site: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2006/12/moroccan-preser-1/
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Hi Eva, I bet these will be really delicious, especially with the cinnamon (yum!) but I’m not sure *how* one uses them? Does one just juice them/zest them in the “normal way”, or do you need to slice the whole thing etc? Looks like something fun to try, and I love lemons so much too!
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Hi Charles, you can put preserved lemons in anything that calls for lemon zest, or lemon juice; it’s supposed to add another dimension to the lemon flavour. You would chop them finely, even with the rind! I am really excited about trying them. But you should definitely try adding cinnamon to lemon juice, it’s a match made in heaven.
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Most of the Moroccan recipes I’ve made, I usually just slice them thinly and add them, most often at the end of cooking to add a bit of extra zing.
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Thanks. I still have a couple of weeks to go, I can hardly wait!
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I absolutely LOVE lemons and I’ve never heard of preserved lemons before. It sounds absolutely delicious! I’ve never seen a recipe that called for preserved lemons before, but I’m going to keep my eyes open now! What a fun and delicious experiment! 🙂 One month!!!! I’m excited for you!
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Thanks Kristy. I understand that they can be used anywhere lemon or lemon zest is used.
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This is FABULOUS! I’d have to skip the cinnamon due to allergies, but YUM! I’m a fan of that spice that gives me hives and makes my throat swell!
I also am a fan of David Lebovitz. I’ve been following him for YEARS….before I knew what a blog was!
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Sorry about all your allergies, Ann. I’m sure there are other spices that can add some interest, like cloves, or star anise!
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