I buy a jar of preserved lemons to make chicken and chorizo stew, but I only ever use a couple of them. Any suggestions for what to do with the rest of the jar?
Joseph, Glasgow
“There are so many things,” says chef and writer Sami Tamimi, who is currently running a series of online Palestinian cookery classes. “I could write a book about this very question.” But, until that day comes, know that the fragrant, slightly tart fruit will brighten and add depth to all sorts, from dressings and dips to salads, stews and Sunday roasts.
The first lesson in these lemons, however, is one of storage. “You don’t have to keep them in the fridge,” Tamimi says. “The salt content means they’ll last happily in the cupboard for a few months.” But when life gives you too many lemons, he says, it’s time to turn to the freezer: “Remove the pips, blitz the preserved lemon(s), then decant into an ice-cube tray and freeze.” Those cubes could then be destined for future salad dressings (“just add olive oil, whatever herbs you like, and season”), mixed with olive oil and seasoning to pour over a roast leg or shoulder of lamb, or even chill out in a jug of homemade lemonade: “Blitz the frozen lemon with mint, [fresh] lemon juice and sugar, then add soda water,” Tamimi says. “It’s so delicious in summer.”
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