Gill Meller
LATIN NAME
Citrus limon
SEASONALITY
Available all year round; Italian lemons at their best March–July
MORE RECIPES
Spring greens with lemon and garlic; Spiced couscous with lemon and sultanas; Smashed chickpeas with preserved lemon and red onion; Shrimps on sourdough with paprika and lemon; Grilled langoustine with lemon and parsley butter; Turbot with white wine, lemon zest and thyme; Lemon-cured herring; Roast gurnard with pepper, lemon, thyme and chilli; Pheasant with olives and preserved lemons; North African shepherd’s pie; Bay-spiked pears with shallots and lemon; Candied orange and lemon peel
SOURCING
natoora.co.uk (for unwaxed Italian lemons)
This luscious, sour fruit originated in India (still the largest producer), reaching the West around two thousand years ago. Lemons have come to influence the cooking in almost every part of the world and they are now grown in Asia, the Americas, Africa and the Med. Second only to salt and pepper, they are indispensable in the kitchen.
The ‘Eureka’ is the standard supermarket lemon that we are all familiar with. It’s easy to grow all year round and its robust nature means it stores well once harvested. But the most prized lemons are those that have a touch more sweetness, giving them a much gentler flavour. Lovely generous scented lemons come from Italy – from the sun-scorched groves of Sicily, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. The peel from these fruits is used to infuse the liqueur known as limoncello.
In California, meanwhile, streets are lined with trees heaving with wonderful little ‘Meyer’ lemons. This small, thin-skinned variety, the offspring of a standard lemon and a mandarin, is relatively sweet and very aromatic. Sadly, they don’t keep or travel well so you are unlikely to come across them, but if you do, grab them – they are wonderful for pickling or making marmalade.
Although lemons keep well, their shelf-life is prolonged further by waxing. Paradoxically, the fruit’s natural wax is washed off first, before the artificial one is applied. Waxing stops the lemon drying out, shrinking or wrinkling and gives them an appealing shine. In many cases, the wax is polyethylene-based. Alternatively, it is based on shellac, a resin secreted by the lac bug, processed, liquefied and sprayed directly on to the fruit. If you intend to make the most of your lemons, which means using the lovely zest as well as the juice, then go for unwaxed fruit. Choosing organic is one way to ensure a lemon is wax-free, although you can buy conventionally grown unwaxed fruit. If waxed fruit is the only option, you can remove the wax yourself by dipping the fruit in hot water and giving it a firm rub.
Even wax-free lemons should look good: plump, heavy and firm, with a shine from their own natural wax. Avoid lemons with wrinkled or dull skin, or any with soft or hard patches. Once mould sets into a lemon, it will spread through your fruit bowl like wildfire, so check frequently for spoiling fruits.
Every part of a lemon is useful, but it’s the juice we utilise the most. Even in tiny quantities, it has the capacity to bring out the flavour in dishes without making them taste lemony. Very often, it’s the final splash of lemon juice that brings a dish together, highlighting the flavours beautifully. The sharpness of lemon also cuts the richness of oils and fats and balances the intense sweetness of sugars, honeys and syrups. The juice is acidic enough to tenderise meat by denaturing the long protein strands in the muscle. When applied to raw fish, it ‘cooks’ it, firming the texture and making the translucent flesh opaque.
If an intense lemon flavour is required in a dish – a curd, perhaps, or a cake – then the zest, or skin, must be called into play. This is packed with natural oils, intensely fragrant and wonderfully aromatic. It’s where the real lemon flavour resides. The oil is held within the skin and is best released with a fine grater or very sharp little knife.
Underneath the skin is the softer, slightly spongy white pith. This is exceptionally bitter, which is why it is generally removed. But combined with lots of sugar, as in candied peel (see Peel, citrus), or salt, as in preserved lemons (see below), it can be wonderful. The pith is also rich in pectin.
Despite their sourness, lemons do contain some sugars. You can capitalise on this by caramelising the fruit. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add some halved lemons, cut side down. Fry them until golden and charred, about 5 minutes. Serve with fish or root veg, squeezing over the gorgeous bittersweet juice.
Preserved whole lemons – pickled and lightly fermented in salt and their own juices – are a unique and fabulous ingredient, showcasing the entire fruit in a feast of bitter, sour, salty and sweet flavour. A key ingredient in North African cooking, the lemons are softened and mellowed both in texture and flavour by the process. Traditionally, it’s just the salted rind that’s used, chopped in tagines and veg dishes, with the soft, salty scooped-out pulp being discarded. But you can use both – try puréeing the pulp in a soup or dip, or just chopping preserved lemons entire for a rice dish (like the Spicy Brown Rice and Broccoli).
Making your own preserved lemons is simple. Cut 8 lemons into quarters, top to toe, but without going all the way through the fruit, so the lemon is still joined at the base and the top. Pack fine sea salt into the cuts and squash the salt-packed lemons into a large preserving jar. Seal the jar and leave for a couple of days to allow the salt to draw out the juice. Squeeze more fresh lemon juice over so that the fruit is submerged. Seal it again and store for at least a month before using, turning the jar upside down and back again every now and then. Once opened, keep in the fridge.
And for old-fashioned lemonade, the most refreshing of all summer drinks, pare or grate the zest from 3 lemons and put into a large jug with 100g caster sugar. Pour over 1 litre of boiling water, stir, then leave until cool. Add the squeezed-out juice of 6 lemons, then strain into a clean jug and chill before serving, straight up or slightly diluted, with ice and more lemon slices.
LEMON, HONEY AND COURGETTE CAKE
This lovely, light, fat-free lemony bake is sweetened with honey and made moist with fresh courgette. It’s gluten-free too (as long as your baking powder doesn’t contain gluten). Makes 8–10 slices
100g fine (not quick-cook) polenta or cornmeal
100g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
100g clear honey
3 medium eggs
200g peeled and finely grated courgette (1 medium-large)
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp finely chopped thyme (optional)
TO FINISH
50g clear honey
Juice of 2 lemons
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Line a 20cm round, deep cake tin with baking parchment.
Put the polenta, ground almonds, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix well.
Place the honey and eggs in a large bowl or a free-standing mixer bowl. Using a hand-held electric whisk, or the mixer, whisk for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale and foamy and at least doubled in volume.
Using a spatula or large metal spoon, carefully fold the polenta and almond mix into the egg mix. Add the grated courgette, lemon zest, and thyme if using, and gently fold these in too.
Gently pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, whisk together the honey and lemon juice. As you take the cake out of the oven, pierce the surface all over with a fine skewer or toothpick, then carefully trickle the lemony honey mix over it. Leave to cool before removing from the tin.
