recipe request

[deleted]

I think she's making preserved or salted lemons which are used extensively in mid east cooking notably in a Moroccan "tagine"--a lamb stew. Any mideastern recipe book will give recipes.

The heroine is pickling lemons at the beginning of the film. Pickled Lemons are found all around the Mediterranean and each family has its own traditional recipe. Here are a few:


Preserved Lemons

Ingredients - to make one jar of lemons

* 5-6 Lemons - to fit a large clear jar
* ½ kg salt
* 1 Cinnamon stick
* 6 whole Cloves
* 3 Chillis, thinly sliced
* ¼ cup olive oil
* Spring water - to fill the jar

Method

1. Wash the lemons and slice them up to within 2cm of each pointed end.
2. Put 1 tablespoon salt into the large sterilized clear jar.
3. Put in the lemons and press them down. Fill the jar up with spring water, leaving enough space for the olive oil.
4. Add salt, cinnamon, cloves and chillies.
5. Cover the top with oil and seal the jar. The oil is to seal and protect the lemons from contact with the air.
6. Leave the lemons in a cool dry and dark place for 4-6 weeks before using.

Tips

They can now be used whole or chopped, using both the pulp and the now softened rind. At times you may see a white cloudiness on the lemons, this is harmless and will be washed off with the salt before use. The lemons don’t need to be refrigerated after opening, but it’s a good idea to put another thin layer of oil on the top to keep the air out. Preserved lemons can be kept for up to a year, they’re a great way to keep lemons and add a delicious piquancy flavour to any dish.


Pickled Lemon Slices

Some lemons are pickled sweet-and-sour, with sugar, vinegar, salt, and cinnamon. Others are sweet, not suitable for cooking with meat but meant to be eaten like candy. The following recipe is an adaptation of a recipe that appears in a book written at the end of the 12th century C.E. by Saladin's personal physician. Choose juicy, glossy, unblemished lemons.


ingredients

1 cup coarse (kosher) salt
8 lemons, scrubbed very clean
2 small chillis

2 bay leaves
10 allspice berries
10 coriander seeds


method

1. Sprinkle 2 or 3 tablespoons of salt into each canning jar.
2. Slice 5 of the lemons and all the chillis.
3. Pack the lemon slices into the jars. Add a few bay leaves and sliced chillis as you go.
4. Squeeze the remaining lemons and strain the juice. Pour juice into the jar, finishing with spring/mineral water to completely cover the lemons.

5. Add the allspice berries and coriander seeds.
6. Cover the top with a little olive oil.

7. Seal the jars. Turn jars upside down briefly once a day if possible to distribute the contents evenly. After 2 weeks, store lemons in a cool, dry place; they will keep for up to a year unopened. They can be used after two weeks, if desired. Once opened, they must be refrigerated.



Pickled Lemons

makes about 2 1/2 cups

It is best made a couple of weeks ahead.



1 pound thinly sliced lemons

2 small chillis, cut into paper-thin rings

2 tablespoons pickling spices (see Note 1 at end)

1 cup cider vinegar (see Note 2)

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar (see Note 2)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (see Note 3)



1. Cover the sliced lemons with boiling water. Let steep for 2 minutes, stirring to separate the slices. Drain and immediately plunge into icy water to stop the cooking; drain well. Put the lemons into the pickling jar and add the chillis and pickling spices.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-aluminium pot and bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Once the mixture boils. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, uncovered.

4. Store in the refrigerator, in a clean container, sealed airtight. Serve cold or at room temperature.



Note 1: : pickling spices are a mixture of: cinnamon, mustard seed, bay leaves, allspice, dill seed, cloves, ginger, peppercorns, coriander, juniper berries, mace, and cardamom. For a hotter mix, add some crushed hot peppers. Each family has their own combination of these, not necessarily using every single spice.

Note 2: there are big flavor differences among brands of vinegars. Heinz vinegars, both white and apple cider, always come out ahead in our taste tests.

Note 3: only kosher salt has the necessary light/clean/mild flavor for successful pickling. Ordinary table salt tastes acrid and sea salt is too salty. (in the UK Malvern table salt is a good replacement for kosher salt)