Recipe: Preserved Lemon

Makes about 1 quart

3 medium lemons

1/3 cup kosher salt

6 cups water

1. Scrub lemons using warm water. (Do not use overrripe lemons.) Bring a pot of water to a boil, add lemons and simmer 10 minutes. Drain. Cut off stem ends. Using a sharp knife, score just the skin with eight vertical cuts and cut lemons in half.

2. Combine salt and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour over lemons and cool in brine 30 minutes.

3. Press lemons into a clean quart jar and cover with brine. Put lid on jar and leave at room temperature three days. Make sure lemons are immersed in the brine. The lemons can then be stored in the refrigerator several weeks. When ready to use, remove a section of the lemon and rinse gently. Trim away some of the softer pulp, then cut preserved lemon into strips or dice.

How to use: in couscous and chicken dishes, especially those with Moroccan spices; in tagines or in toppings for fish; with sweet pepper salads; with steamed broccoli and a drizzle of olive oil.

From "The New Preserves: Pickles, Jams and Jellies" by Anne V. Nelson