There is little in the world of ingredients as utterly distinctive and extraordinarily interesting as preserved lemons. Profoundly simple, yet requiring significant patience, preserved lemons sit at the heart of North African (particularly Moroccan) cuisine. The Delicious Libertine version offers the most basic of recipes: lemon + salt + time.
The 2008 Holiday batch won’t be ready for opening until mid-March. Until then, every couple of days, just gently shake your jar to redistribute the salt and lemon juice. There is no need to refrigerate, but keeping your lemons in a cool, dark place is never a bad idea (just don’t forget about them).
So, what do with these when they are finally ready? Cooks are finding that preserved lemons add an enormous depth to any dish that calls for lemon peel, lemon zest, or even lemon juice, but there are many, many other ways to use them; simply take a quarter or half of a lemon out of the jar, rinse it, scrape out the pulp, and then slice and dice the rind (which may be tan, but that’s okay). Consider adding preserved lemons to: a hand full of olives for a preprandial snack; as a topping on a thin, crispy pizza; as an addition to soup; on a sandwich; tossed into a salad (this is particularly good); as an ingredient in ice cream (also very good); as a critical component to authentic-tasting couscous; and of course, in a tagine.
The tagine is perhaps the classic preparation. I’d suggest starting here, and then branching out on your own:
Delicious Libertine Lamb Tagine (notice the rhyming potential!!):
Start with a couple of pounds of lamb shoulder or leg (we’re going to be cooking for a while, so don’t worry too much about which you choose; look for quality and price), trim off most of the excess fat and cut into inch or so square cubes.
Chop up a large onion and a half-thumb size nub of ginger and add to a bowl. Mix in a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes, or if you’ve got it, a dollop of harissa, and grind a stalk or two of saffron in your palm and then drop it in.
In your dutch oven (or other solid seal-able cooking pan) add a couple of tablespoon of veggie oil, and heat just until it starts to smoke. Toss in your onion mixture, give it a couple good stirs to get the flavors going, and then add the lamb. Shake a little salt; shake a little pepper; do a little dance, and then cover the entire thing with (if you’re feeling decadent), lamb broth, or (if you’re a normal person who doesn’t keep lamb broth around), water. Toss in a hand full of green olives. Cover the pot and simmer for about an hour and half (going for tender here).
Crack open the top, gaze in hungry anticipation, and then add a couple of tablespoons of finely sliced preserved lemon and a couple of sliced, peeled tomatoes. Cook uncovered for a bit more, at least until things thicken up a little.
Then…serve with bread or couscous, or even fries (yes, they are really good with this).