Herbed Lemon Confit

Name: Herbed Lemon Confit
Yield: makes about 2 cups
Ingredients: 3 lemons; 1 large shallot lobe, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; Leaves from 1 large sprig rosemary, finely chopped; Leaves from 1 sprig thyme; 6 black peppercorns, crushed; 3 tablespoons coarse kosher or sea salt; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

December 14, 2011

Preserved lemons can spike up the flavor of any dish, particularly something rich that needs the cut-through-the-fat talents only an acidic ingredient can bring. This method, which I based on a recipe in Tom Colicchio’s ’wichcraft (Clarkson Potter, 2009), drastically reduces the amount of time it takes to preserve lemons by slicing them first, allowing the salt/sugar mixture to penetrate that much more quickly. And that’s a good thing, because you won’t want to wait too long for these. They need 3 days of curing time, but they will keep in an airtight container in your refrigerator for a month. Use them in Smoked Trout, Potato, and Fennel Pizza (page 113); Roast Chicken Leg with Gremolata and Sunchokes (page 72); and Tuna, Chickpea, and Arugula Sandwich (page 126); or anywhere else you want a sharp hit of salty lemon.

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