want to hear from anyone who's ever made Moroccan preserved lemons

[Howard_2]

I have a recipe from a cookbook (Moroccan Modern) that looks pretty straightforward. I'd love to hear practical observations and tips and so on from anyone who's ever made these preserved lemons. Also, is there any reasonable substitute?

[Tom P]

I agree the olive oil can keep them from being too salty. But if you use the Patricia Wells recipe (see above), they turn out so good you can use every bit of what is in your container, juices and all parts of the lemon themselves. You don't have to worry with rinsing and cutting parts off.

[melon]

If you don't feel like making the preserved lemons, I have made Moroccan Chicken w/ Lemon and Olives using just regular lemons, thinly sliced with about half the fruit left on. I eat them peels and all and it tastes great. You might just want to add a little extra lemon juice to replace the tang in the dish.

[ronla]

I made the ones in Chez Panisse Fruit. It looked like fun, but I wasn't sure what it was supposed to taste like. They were really, really salty but I'm not sure if they ended up right or not, and then what I was supposed to do with them

[walker]

What I have read is that you rinse them off and discard pulp and only use yellow rind part. One time they developed a whitish substance and I was afraid to use but was reluctant to discard so I took one to a chef/owner of Moroccan restaurant. He said just to rinse white stuff off and it was fine. Now I follow the directions of one of the recipes and add olive oil -- I think this helps preserve things.

[Nettie]

Cook's Illustrated did a simplified Moroccan chicken recipe in May 2006. Personally, I'd rather wait 4-6 weeks to make preserved lemons as I love the taste, and in the notes they do say that you can't really imitate the flavor of preserved lemon. But if you're interested, their recipe calls for adding fresh lemon zest after you brown the meat, and chopping some zest up with the spices, then putting in lemon juice when you finish the dish.

[Tom P]

There is no substitution and, as it is so easy, give them a try. After making them and using them the first time, you will always want to have them around. I use Patricia Wells' recipe:

PRESERVED LEMONS

2 lemons, preferably organic
1/3 cup Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Scrub the lemons and dry them well. Cut each lemon lengthwise into 8 wedges. In a bowl, toss the lemon wedges, salt and lemon juice to coat the fruit. Transfer to a 2-cup glass container with a non-metal lid. Close the container tightly and let the lemons ripen at room temperature for 7 days. She the container daily to evenly distribute the salt and juices. To store, add olive oil to cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

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I use the juices from the container in salad dressings, marinades, etc. My favorite way to roast a chicken, now, is to rub the insides and outside of a chicken with the juices, along with garlic, herbs and salt, and put a few of the lemons inside the cavity with an onion as well. Yum. You can use the juices to spread on fish or chicken before grilling, even a steak. And I love to chop up the lemons themselves and add them to couscous or salads made of grains and vegetables. There are so many uses for them. Do give it a try!

[jdm]

I second the recommendation for Claudia Roden's recipe. I usually make three big jars when I have an overabundance of lemons. They last me for most of a year. The older they get, the more intense and wonderful.

[AmandaEd]

I made Molly Steven's recipe for preserved lemons when her AAB cookbook was the cookbook of the month in the fall. Her recipe sounds exactly like the basics Kagey outlined above. No shortcuts/substitutes, I think. Sorry. But it's definitely worth the effort!

[hotoynoodle]

this has been on the boards much of late, and i suspect people are way overthinking it! i've been making paula wolfert's 7-day preserved lemons for at least 10 years. they last forever in the fridge, and nothing tastes quite like them.

well worth having, and you'll be surprised how many places you can sneak them. they're especially good with roasted red peppers and olives.

if you don't have them, you can use lots of lemon zest. it's not a substitute, but will work in a dish.

[oakjoan]

What she/he said. I'll add that, although PW states they last only a certain, pretty short, amount of time (can't remember and am too lazy to get up and look) in the fridge, I also find they last a lonnnnnnnnnng time.

They add such a zip to so many dishes. I love them chopped into a fish soup ala bouillebaisse.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I also use this recipe, which can be found on epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[litchick]

There are some other posts on the topic here which might be useful:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/362217

[Kagey]

I think making preserved lemons is pretty straightforward. Lemons, salt, lemon juice, clean glass container. Some recipes add different spices or oils. The recipe I've made twice is Claudia Roden's, and I like it a lot. I may try Nigella's next time.

I don't think there's really a substitute for preserved lemons, if that's what you're asking. They add a distinct flavor to a dish (try Claudia's Moroccan Lemon Chicken--wow!) that you won't get otherwise. It's very lemony but not really bitter or sour.