preserved lemons

preserved lemons were a typical moroccan ingredient i'd heard about but wasn't familiar with the taste until now. seeing them while wandering through the isles of this amazing market sparked my interest and then i found a recipe to easily preserve them at home in an old issue of gourmet. ok, now i've got a beautiful jar of opaque sliced lemons, what do i do with them? roast a chicken and make a relish sounded like a good plan to me! this salty tangy herb salad would be great on grilled fish or roast lamb as well - an easy way to dress up any protein. they also add great flavor to soups and salads and will be good in your refrigerator, covered in their juices and a little oil, for about a year.

Preserved Lemons & Relish

6 lemons

2/3 cup kosher salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups lemon juice

olive oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped mint

1 shallot, finely chopped

5 slices of preserved lemons, rinsed & rind only, pulp discarded

bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch whole lemons for about 5 minutes, then drain. when cool enough to handle, cut each lemon into 1/4-inch thick slices, discarding the seeds. toss lemons with salt in a bowl and then pack lemons and salt into a glass jar. add enough lemon juice to cover sliced lemons completely. cover with a tight fitting lid and let stand at room temperature for 5 days, shaking gently once a day. after 5 days, cover with a little olive oil and refrigerate.

to make preserved lemon relish, combine cilantro, parsley, mint, shallot and diced rind in a small bowl. add a few tbs of olive oil to moisten the mixture and a little black pepper. stir to combine and serve at room temperature. enjoy!