Ottolenghi’s Preserved Lemons
January 30, 2011
This recipe is a lesson in patience, but the longer you wait, the better they taste. Keep it simple. Try them with roast chicken, a simple arugula salad, or a tangy slab of fresh feta pulled straight from the brine bath.
Ottolenghi’s Preserved Lemons
Adapted from Ottolenghi-The Cookbook.
Ingredients
6 lemons, scrubbed
6 T coarse sea salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-4 dried red chilies
juice of 6 lemons
olive oil
Preparation
- Sterilize a quart jar.
- Cut a deep cross in the lemons all the way from the top to 3/4” from the bottom, so you are left with four quarters attached.
- Stuff each lemon with a tablespoonful of salt and place in the jar. It should be a tight fit. Don’t be afraid to squeeze them.
- Seal the jar and leave for a week on the counter.
- Carefully remove the lid. Using a wooden spoon or muddler press the lemons as hard as you can to squeeze as much of the juice out as possible.
- Add the rosemary, chilies and lemon juice. (I used Thai Bird’s Eye chilies.)
- Cover with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Seal the jar. Leave in a cool place for at least four weeks.
- Try it all again with limes!
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