Preserved
lemon
Preserved lemon or lemon pickle is a condiment
that is common in Indian and North African cuisine. It is also known as "country lemon" and leems.
Diced, quartered, halved, or whole, lemons are pickled
in a brine
of water, lemon juice, and salt; occasionally spices are included as well.[1]
The pickle is allowed to ferment at room temperature for weeks or months before
it is used. The pulp of the preserved lemon can be used in stews and sauces, but
it is the peel (zest and pith together) that is most valued. The flavor is
mildly tart but intensely lemony.
Usage
Pieces of pickled lemon may be
washed before using to remove any surface salt, or blanched to remove more of
the salt and bring out the natural mild sweetness. They may then be sliced,
chopped, or minced as needed for the texture of the dish. The rind may be used
with or without the pulp.
Preserved lemon is the key
ingredient in many Moroccan
dishes such as tagines. In Cambodian cuisine, it is used in dishes such as Ngam nguv, a chicken
soup with whole preserved lemons. They are often combined in various ways with
olives, artichokes, seafood, veal, chicken, and rice. Lemon Pickle is a
standard accompaniment to curd rice,
which is often the last course in South Indian Cuisine.
The pickled pulp and liquid can be
used in Bloody Marys and other beverages where lemon and salt are used.[2]
The flavor also combines well with horseradish,
as in American-style cocktail sauce.
In Ayurvedic cuisine, lemon pickle is a home remedy for stomach disorders, and
its value is said to increase as it matures.[3]
In East African folk medicine, lemon pickle is given for excessive growth of
the spleen.[4]
Variations
History
Historically, pickling was an
affordable and practical method of preserving lemons for use long after their
season and far away from where they are grown. Early 19th-century English,
American, and (in translation) Indian cookbooks
give recipes for lemon pickle and mention its use in sauces for salmon, veal, etc.;[5][6][7][8]
dishes where today fresh lemon zest and/or juice would be used.
An early 19th century recipe is as
follows:
They should be small, and with thick
rinds: rub them with a piece of flannel; then slit them half down in four
quarters, but not through to the pulp; fill the slits with salt hard pressed
in, set them upright in a pan for four or five days, until the salt melts; turn
them thrice a day in their own liquor, until tender; make enough pickle to
cover them, of rape-vinegar, the brine of the lemons, Jamaica pepper,
and ginger; boil and skim it; when cold, put it to the lemons, with two ounces
of mustard-seed, and two cloves of garlic to six lemons. When the lemons are
used, the pickle will be useful in fish or other sauces.
A similar recipe appears in Mary Randolph's
1824 cookbook.[9]
Similar recipes also appear in earlier cookbooks, such as the 18th century
cookbook by English housekeeper Elizabeth Raffald.[10]
Some recipes include grating or thinly peeling the lemons, and preserving the
peels (zest) which were dried for later use.[6]
See
also
External
links
The entire wiki article on the subject can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_pickle
No comments:
Post a Comment