<Preserved Lemons>

Preserved lemons are an ideal pantry item--they can last for months in your cupboard and they add bright flavor to lots of dishes. They are essentially pickled or brined fruit. I’ve tried many recipes for preserved lemons. I’ve added garlic, herbs, spices and orange juice. I keep coming back to this simple but perfect one that a member of the Rialto staff, Taleb from Morocco, shared with me years ago. For a while, he was the only one who made them, but he has passed the baton on to the sous chefs.

Preserved lemons are a classic ingredient in North African cuisines but are also found in kitchens across the Mediterranean. Most importantly, they are a cinch to make—the main ingredient is really just time, the time it takes for the lemons to break down and soften. Preserved lemons transform braised meats, roasted vegetables or even risottos into tangy Mediterranean dishes. I never run out of things to do with these. One warning: When you start to incorporate them into your personal repertoire, use them sparingly—they pack a punch.

Simply Preserved Lemons

This recipe comes from my cookbook, In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams of Rialto Restaurant (HarperCollins, 2002). If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, give us a call at 617.234.8025. We'll send one right to you.

4 lemons

3/4 cup kosher salt

About 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)

Extra virgin olive oil

1. Sterilize a glass jar large enough to hold 4 lemons (washing it in a dishwasher is fine). A 1-quart mayonnaise jar works well.

2. Scrub the lemons well, then slice them lengthwise almost in half, leaving a 1 1/2-inch section uncut at one end so the halves remain attached. Hold a lemon over a bowl and pour 3 tablespoons salt in the lemon cut, letting the excess salt fall into the bowl. Squeeze the lemon, rubbing the salted cut surfaces back and forth and releasing the juice into the bowl. Put the lemon in the jar. Repeat with the remaining lemons. Pour the salt and lemon juice from the bowl into the jar. Add enough of the 1 1/2 cups lemon juice to completely cover the lemons. Cover with plastic wrap.

3. Allow the lemons to sit in a cool dark place or the refrigerator for 3 days, giving the jar a stir with a sterile spoon once a day to distribute undissolved salt.

4. After 3 days, carefully pour a thin (1/4 inch) layer of olive oil on top of the lemon juice and replace the plastic wrap. Let the lemons cure for 6 weeks before using. Preserved lemons will keep for 6 months in the refrigerator.

Lemon-Brined Halibut - If your fishmonger doesn't have Halibut, try this recipe with Cod.

Spiced Duck Legs Braised with Preserved Lemons - I LOVE duck. This recipe might be a little more complicated than the others but it is well worth it. A great dish to warm you up on a cold winter night.