[alexia]

I found a source for organic lemons, so I've just made a batch of preserved lemons for the first time, now salting away in the fridge. Exploring Google, I've come up with a number of recipes, but as this is an ingredient I've never used before, I would be grateful if anyone here that uses them would share a recipe they know will be good.

[cape chef]

Alexia,

There has been a number of great posts on Preserved lemons on Cheftalk

Here's one

http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/forums/s...eserved+lemons

I love Tagine with preserved lemons...

I don't have time thin moment to write it, but if you would like I will try to write it later

[alexia]

Thanks Cape Chef, there were a few dishes on those threads made with the lemons and a lot of recipes to make the lemons. I have lots of time til I can use the lemons, so whenever you get a chance to post that recipe it will be appreciated. It's always a comfort to explore a new ingredient with a trustworthy recipe first.

I looked at a lot of recipes for the preserved lemon before making it. I decided to go with a very basic one that is tempered by some sugar. It was posted by Peter Hertzman on another site; he attributed it to Frédéric Médigue, chef at Le Château d’Amondans, France. It is just 2 pts salt : 1 pt sugar, (120 grams of the mixture layered with 6 quartered lemons). No spices, etc., added.

[Suzanne]

That's pretty much how I made mine, and I think the results are excellent. Much more "gentle." So far I've used them in marinades for vegetables, instead of "raw" zest in osso buco, and as an addition to grain dishes.

[cape chef]

Tagine of lamb with lemons and olives.

3 # Lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch dice
Pinch of saffron
1/4 teaspoons turmirc
1 teaspoon hot papkrica
1 teaspoon ground ginger root
1/2 teaspoon fresh milled black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
1/4 cup veggie oil
1/2 cup fine dice onion
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs like cilantro and parlsey
2 cups minced onion
1 cup olives (green ripe, kalamata royals)
2 preserved lemons
juice of one lemon

1, Trim the lamb of fat, soak the saffron in a little hot water to bloom in the bottom of a cassarole. Add the spices,salt,oil and fine diced onion, then toss the lamb pieces in the mixture.Saute gently to release the spices aroma and lightly sear the meat. Add one cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for one hour, adding water if need be to not scorch the bottom.
2, After the one hour,add the herbs and the two cups of minced onions. recover and simmer until the meat is very tender and the sauce is fairly thick.
3, While the lamb is cooking, pit the olives and remove the pulp from the preserved lemons.
4, Add the lemon juice,olives and lemon peel about ten minutes before serving. Transfer the meat to a deep serving dish and keep warm. boil the sauce until you have 1 1/2 cups, spoon it over the lamb and garnish with the lemon and olives

[Suzanne]

CC -- if you were going to make this with chicken instead of lamb, how would you adjust the recipe:[list=1][*]How much chicken to get the same # of portions?[*]Timing?[*]Amounts of other seasonings (since chicken is not as strong as lamb)?[/list=1]
I recently had a chicken tagine with green olives and lemon that was very clumsily executed. It tasted okay, but I know that this one would be better.

(FWIW, it was at a Moroccan restaurant called Al Baraka, in NYC on Second Ave between 83rd and 84th Streets. Beautiful decor, but clunky food and prices rather higher than the food -- and especially the wine -- merited.)

[cape chef]

Dear Suzanne,

I have a recipe for chicken Tagine, very similar to the lamb one.
You are right to assume that the cooking time and spices need adjustments.

When I cook a chicken tagine, I always mash garlic and salt together and rub it in the cavity of the bird and let in macirate for at least 2 hours in the fridge before I break it down. I find this kind of gives the bird a head start with flavor...a couple cinnomon sticks and cloves in the cavity also helps.

anyway, give this one a try...

Chicken with eggs, ;emon and olives
2 chickens cut into 6 pieces
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 cloves of peeled and chopped garlic
1/4 cup fine diced onion
1/2 teaspoon ginger root
a pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon fresh milled black pepper
1/4 cup sweet butter, melted
3 cinnomon sticks
10 eggs
2 preserved lemons
a good hand full of pitted olives (kalamata I like here)
1/2 cup of lemon juice

1, pop the chicken in a cassarole, add 2/3s of the chopped parsley, the garlic, onion,salt and spices, half the butter and the cinnamon sticks.Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. simmer covered for about an hour (you want the meat to almost be falling off the bone)
2, preheat your oven to 350f
3, transfer the chicken (not the jus)to a serving dish(get rid of the cinnamon and any stray bones, then boil the sauce down to 2 cups and pour it over your bird.
4,Beat the eggs to a froth with the rest of the parsley, rinse and dice the preserved lemons, stir the lemon and olives into the eggs and pour this over the chicken. cover with some foil and bake for about 20 minutes, then blast your oven as high as it goes and remove the foil and dot with the remaining butter and bake for about 10 more minutes (Suzanne, your looking for a glasage effect)..then spinkle it with the lemon juice and chow down

[bouland]

Alexia: I use the lemons in sauces — here's one example from Chef Médigue. Be sure when you use them to remove any remaining pith so you have just a thin layer of peel.

They are also nice just slivered and used on simple fish preparations.