I've started to receive some concerned emails and comments from readers.
I'm very sorry for my long absence, but I have got the flu. I woke up Monday morning seemingly having swallowed a fireball and by monday evening I had a fever and a brain so fuzzy that saying a few sentences was enough to tire me out.
But I'm slowly recovering (not to quickly, can't rush these things).
Before I continue I'd like to ask if anyone is having trouble commenting? And if you are having trouble commenting could you please email at decoybetty at gmail dot com? Kisses (from far away so no germs are transported).
Ok. So before I write more about Norfolk Island adventures, I'd like to talk about preserved lemon. Obviously.
Inspector Climate and I found this tv show that we became kind of smitten with about this Israeli expat who had been living in the UK and then he travelled around the Mediterranean learning about different cuisines: Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia - just to name a couple. And he'd meet people and cook with them.
In Morocco, the whole episode was basically about preserved lemons. So I decided to make them myself, I researched recipe after recipe. The idea of preserving things kind of terrifies me, I know that if the jars are not sterilised properly or sealed things can go amuck. Eventually Idecided that I wouldn't learn from reading how to do it, but from actually doing it. And that scares the bejesus out of me. I'm not a learner by doing, I'm a learner by watching other people do and then having them help me 'do', and then finally doing on my own as I quietly sob. It's a process.
So, I cut each lemon in quarters, but not all the way through, and then stuffed them with salt. I put a few tablespoons of salt in the bottom of a sterilised jar then added the lemons and pushed them down until some juice was released. I then covered lemons completely with lemon juice sealed them up and left them out on the counter for two days. After that, I popped them in the fridge for three weeks.
Now what do you do with preserved lemons was the big questions. So I found two recipes, this one which was amazing and this one that was not so much.
So this is what my preserved lemon looked like after three weeks.
To use, cut off the pith and the flesh and rinse REALLY well to get some of that salt off of it.
Moroccan quinoa with chickpeas, squash, and preserved lemon (minus the olives, because even though I like olives, it seemed weird to add them here...).
Do you like preserved lemon? What do you eat them with?
These make number 20 and 21 on my life list goal to try 100 new recipes and to post about them.
I've never tried preserved lemon before - but it sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon, love! :)
I hope you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks so good..but I've never eaten lemon preserves. We have peach preserves here in the states..and each year I make raspberry and blackberry jam from what we grow.
I've been wanting to make orange marmalade. I was wondering if their was a lemon marmalade? Also is their some sort of lemon chutney? That would be interesting too
A lot of these jam recipes I come across..talk about freezer jam.
I've made a Moroccan chickpea dish many times but always omitted the olives (because, like you, I thought they just didn't belong) and the lemons because I never had preserved lemons. Now I wonder what I've been missing!
ReplyDeletei hope you're feeling better! i've never tried preserved lemon before...which is weird considering in my culture, we preserve everything!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness Deidre I hope you feel better soon! The flu is no picnic.
ReplyDeleteHope you're recovering! The lemon sounds interesting. I was just reading about lemon achar- heard of that?
ReplyDeleteDuring my unemployment I taught myself to make curry, limoncello, homemade vanilla and green cleaning solutions...all sorts of things that I never found time to do.
ReplyDeleteYou have everything you need to succeed, don't lose faith.
I had a Moroccan-American roommate when I lived in Israel (seriously, this is a small world!), and she used to talk about all the amazing dishes her Moroccan mother makes. After that Morocco was on my "must travel to" list.
ReplyDeleteFun to hear about your preserving! I wish I'd be productive enough to go through all that effort:).
Plus, that yellow color is just so sweet to the eye.
You poor girl, I hope you will feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteYour recipe looks so delicious! Yummy!
Feel better! And that dish looks delish!
ReplyDeleteHopefully that good food will help you feel better soon! Moroccan food is my favorite (well that and Indian food).
ReplyDeleteI have never tried preserved lemons, but I love to can! It doesn't always go perfectly, but it's fun to experiment and try different things. I'm glad your experiment turned out!
ReplyDeleteI have never tried preserved lemons but I am very tempted. Lemons are fantastic in general, really.
ReplyDeleteThat's bad news about getting the 'flu. I hope you're feeling much better soon.
(Oh, and as for commenting, I haven't run into any problems lately. Unless this one doesn't work...)
I LOVE preserved lemons and made a batch last year. I use them with fish, chicken in pasta, even dishes where you would normally use fresh lemons, you could substitute with preserved lemons, actually.
ReplyDeleteI like squeezing lemons in my food. They give a little extra zing. I have never tried preserved lemons but I can imagine how wonderful they'd taste.
ReplyDeleteAw hope you feel better !!!
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon Deirdre. I think preserved lemon will help - full of vitamin C!
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed at the level of effort. :)
hope you're starting to feel better soon! and i don't think i've ever had preserved lemon, haha! x
ReplyDeleteI've never had or made preserved lemons. They sound intriguing!
ReplyDelete(I am mostly just commenting to test my comment and to say I hope you feel better.)
Oh dear I hope you feel better!!! I've never heard of preserving lemons! It must taste delicious! =)
ReplyDeleteErgo - Blog
Oh no, I hope you feel better lady!
ReplyDeleteAfter eating those lemons you should have the health of Wonder Woman! I'm with you on the having others do and then helping me do. I even cry as well.
ReplyDeleteAs far as eating preserved lemons; meh, maybe I haven't found the right recipe. I'll have to try this one. Candied lemons, however, have made me an addict of the most horrendous sort, so don't ever go there. I ended up eating a whole bag of lemons, peels and all. (not all at once)
I say you smuggle a puppy in. If I can hide a goat in my mother-in-laws basement, you can hide a puppy. That's fact. ;)
Hope you feel better soon!
I've never heard of preserved lemons...but that dish looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are feeling better! The lungs in a waffle iron makes much more sense now.
I've never heard of preserving lemons before, but that sounds cool!
ReplyDeletehope your flu goes away soon, once and for all!
- Val @ KnotTiedDown.com
I hope you are feeling better by now! I'm just getting caught up with your blog.
ReplyDeletePreserved lemons have never even crossed my mind! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I do hope you're feeling better! That flu is wretched business!
Oh yuck, the flu is the worst, I hope you get better soon! I've never had preserved lemon before but it looks amazing.
ReplyDelete