Preserved lemon Oil

 

2 preserved lemons (see below) skin only

2 lemons, cut into quarters

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

½ teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

250ml olive oil

 

Scrape the flesh out of the preserved lemons and discard. Finely dice the skins and place into a 500ml jar with the fresh lemon quarters, the coriander seeds and the black peppercorns. In a saucepan, gently warm the oil to blood temperature and pour over the lemons. Seal jar tightly and allow to sit undisturbed for 3 days. Strain the oil through a tea towel, allow it to drain naturally. Don’t push it through, as this will cloud the oil. Pour into sterilized bottle and seal. Keeps for one month in cool dark place.

 

Preserved lemon Gremolata

 

1 Preserved lemon with Honey ( See below), skin only, finely chopped.

1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sumac

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

 

Mix all ingredients together and use as soon as possible.

 

Preserved lemons with Honey:

 

1.5kg thick skinned lemons

350g salt

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed

2 cinnamon sticks

2 lemon leaves or bay leaves

¼ cup honey

1 cup lemon juice

3 cups warm water

 

Wash and dry the lemons. Cut them lengthways into quarters from the point of the lemon to ¾ way down, leaving joined at the base. Place them in a bag in the freezer for 24 hours. Remove lemons from the freezer and defrost. Stuff center of each lemon with heaped teaspoon of salt. Arrange neatly in 2 litre jar, sprinkling each layer of lemons with salt and crushed coriander seeds.

Place the sticks of cinnamon down the sides of the jar along with the lemon leaves or bay leaves. Mix together the honey and lemon juice with warm water until the honey dissolves. Pour into the jar, covering the lemons entirely, and screw lid on tightly. Place a piece of cardboard on the bottom of a large pot and sit the jar ontop, as it stops vibrating. Add warm water to cover the jar and slowly bring to the boil. Boil for 6 minutes then remove from the heat. Lift the jar from the pot. Store in a cool dry place for a month before opening. Once opened, keep refrigerated.