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Preserved Lemons Give Summer Grilling A Punch A Flavor
Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.With a summer's worth of Shabbat dinners ahead of me — and Fourth of July barbecues right around the corner — I have been focused on the grill.
These two grilled dishes — potatoes and kale — get their flavor punch from the same source: preserved lemon marinade and dressing.
Preserved lemons are a traditional Jewish North African, Middle Eastern and Israeli ingredient. They add a slightly salty, tart, citric punch. Jarred preserved lemons are available online and in kosher stores, Middle and Near Eastern stores and specialty stores. Some supermarkets also carry them. See the note for a substitute.
Try serving these sides with my grilled chicken recipe that features not one but two Israeli hot sauces.
Grilled Potato Skewers Serves 4Have marinade ready. Scrub but do not peel potatoes. Cut in half. Bring large pot of water to boil with salt. Add potatoes. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer potatoes until almost cooked through but still slightly firm (10 to 15 minutes).
Drain potatoes, discarding cooking water. Immediately toss potatoes with marinade in large bowl. Marinate 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Thread a metal skewer through the thickest part of five potato halves. Repeat with 3 more skewers.
Brush grill or grill plates with oil. Heat outdoor grill, electric grill or stovetop grill pan to medium-high. Place skewers on heated grill. Grill, occasionally turning and basting with marinade, until potatoes are cooked through and have nice grill marks, 12 to 17 minutes. Sprinkle skewers with chopped cilantro and sumac.
Make ahead: Cook potatoes and refrigerate in marinade. Bring to room temperature. Allow additional grill time. If needed, baste with olive oil while grilling.
Whole Leaf Grilled Kale Serves 3 to 4Slice off only the very hard ends of stems. Wash kale but leave intact. Do not dry. Brush grill or grill plates with vegetable oil. Heat outdoor grill, electric grill or a stovetop grill pan to medium-high.
Working in batches, lay each leaf flat and cook until stems begin to soften and leaves begin to char and crisp up (timing varies; about 1 to 2 minutes per side). Flip and cook the other side. Remove cooked kale to serving dish. Toss or drizzle with dressing.
Preserved Lemon Marinade and Dressing Makes about 1 cupMix preserved lemon in large measuring beaker (or medium bowl) with olive oil and lemon juice. Mix in mint, sumac, chili flakes and salt. Stir in cilantro and garlic. Can be made ahead and kept refrigerated. Use at room temperature. Stir well before using.
If making both potatoes and kale, reserve ¼ cup of mixture to use as dressing for the kale, and use the rest for the potatoes. (There will be plenty for the marinade.) Keep leftover dressing in refrigerator for up to 5 days. Use as a salad dressing or marinade for fish, chicken or vegetables.
Notes: Keep unused preserved lemons with brine in its jar in refrigerator for up to 6 months, for use in other dishes. If not available replace 1 Tbs. Minced preserved lemon with 1 Tbs. Lemon zest, 1 tsp. Lemon juice and ¼ tsp. Salt.
Preserved Lemons Recipes
When using preserved lemons, remember to wash each lemon to remove the brine and scoop out the pulp within, which will be too salty; the thin skin is all you need to impart the flavour. They can be used in stews or tagines, or chopped finely and added to couscous dishes or salads. Often a recipe will only require a half or even a quarter of a preserved lemon to make the dish its own. Try using a quarter or a half of a preserved lemon in a dish where you might have used lemon juice or zest and see what new flavours you get.
This Lemon Vinaigrette Is Lemon-ier Than All The Others
The only thing better than a good recipe? When something's so easy that you don't even need one. Welcome to It's That Simple, a column where we talk you through the dishes and drinks we can make with our eyes closed. Next up: The lemoniest lemon vinaigrette.
The pile of lemon peels that end up in the compost bin is a great tragedy of our time. Not only because you've paid for those vibrant yellow skins, but also because they're loaded with flavor. Finely chopped preserved lemons electrify a bowl of spaghetti. The zippiest-ever lemonade starts with a rind-charged simple syrup, plus fresh lemon juice. And to make olive oil cake that tastes like pure Tuscan sunshine, you've got to add some lemon zest.
But when summer hits and being outside starts to feel like suffocating in a tub of molten fondue, there's no better way to use a whole lemon—yes, lemon juice, flesh, pith, and peel—than this easy lemon vinaigrette recipe. It's a brilliant no-waste idea I found while flipping through Salad Seasons by Sheela Prakash, and it's my new go-to when I'm stumped on salad dressing recipes beyond balsamic vinaigrette. The author, recipe developer, and registered dietitian describes this chunky vinaigrette as "unlike anything you've had before." And it makes a serious case for homemade dressing over the bottled stuff.
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Tart lemon, earthy almonds, and raw garlic are blitzed in a food processor (or pulverized by hand). A touch of honey stealthily joins the party—enough to offset the bitter pith, acidity, and intense lemon flavor, but not cloying like some store-bought dressings. Finally, a glug of grassy olive oil and a swift shake in a jar emulsify everything into a sharp yet creamy overhaul for your next salad. There's barely any prep time and the end result is somewhere between a hefty dressing and lemon-almond pesto; viscous enough to coat your leaves but not so thick it weighs them down.
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Trim the stem end off 1 lemon and slice it into quarters. Remove the seeds and pulse quarters in a food processor until coarsely chopped (about the size of rice grains). Fish out any seeds you might have missed.
Add a small handful of toasted sliced almonds (around 2 Tbsp.); 1 peeled garlic clove; a drizzle (1 tsp.) of honey (more if you have a particularly pithy lemon; maple syrup if you want to make it vegan); and a generous pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse again until the lemon and almonds are finely chopped (crumbly, but not powdery), scraping the sides of your food processor as needed. Transfer the mixture to a clean mason jar. Add ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil and shake to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
Spoon your homemade lemon vinaigrette over a simple green salad, tossing and tasting until it's dressed to your liking. Or, assemble a speedy dip: Swirl a glob of the vinaigrette into a small bowl of thick Greek yogurt, drizzle over some more olive oil, shower it with fresh herbs and toasted seeds, and scoop it all up with chewy flatbreads. Stir a plop through your favorite side dishes, like pasta salad, a bowl of steamed rice or quinoa, or a sheet pan of roasted veggies (such as brussels sprouts or broccoli). Or mash some into avocado and smear it on toast.
Whatever you do, this is how a homemade salad dressing should taste: warm and bright, like the best summer days.
Adapted from 'Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year' by Sheela Prakash © Rizzoli, 2023. Photography © Kristin Teig.
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
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