The first time I tasted Rachel’s riff on Israeli salad, I was blown away by the intense citrusy tang that accompanied every bite. I grew up eating Israeli salad all the time. It’s a labor of love to chop the bright peppers, the crisp Persian cucumbers, the deep green grassy Italian parsley, the sweet, spicy red onions and the juicy red tomatoes. The dressing is a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice and kosher salt. It tops the list on my every Shabbat menu and I serve it to my family and my friends whenever I can. I call it a vitamin pill in a bowl.
Rachel’s salad included all these classic ingredients, as well as creamy avocado and hearts of palm. But there was something else I was tasting—a wonderfully mellow, deep lemony flavor. Rachel’s salad had little slivers of preserved lemon rind and that made all the difference.
Originally lemons were pickled so they could be enjoyed out of season. But they soon became an indispensable ingredient in Moroccan, North African and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Originally lemons were pickled so they could be enjoyed out of season. But they soon became an indispensable ingredient in Moroccan, North African and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Rachel’s mother Rica showed me that preserved lemons are so simple to prepare. The lemons are washed and quartered lengthwise three-quarters of the way down, with kosher salt packed in between each piece.
The lemons sit in the brine and can be used about four weeks later. This fermentation process softens the lemon rind and creates a condiment with a complex salty, sour, umami flavor.
—Sharon
I learnt from my mother to have several jars of lemons in my refrigerator, all at different stages of fermentation. I do this so I never run out. The lemons can be used up to a year if they are stored in a tightly sealed jar. But truly, the lemony flavor is so addictive and there are so many uses for them, that they never last that long.
The easiest way to use preserved lemon is to finely chop the rind and put it in a salad. You can also blend some of the lemon rind and pulp into dressings and aiolis. Use them to whip up a fresh, fabulous vinaigrette with olive oil, Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar.
I use the lemon rinds in my Moroccan fish and in my olive chicken. There is nothing better to balance the rich flavors of meat and lamb tagines and stews. Anywhere you want to add lemon flavor that sends the dish to a different level.
We hope you take the 15 minutes to brine some lemons and leave them in your refrigerator until they are ready to use.
Then add this magical ingredient into your recipes for amazing flavor.
You’ll thank us!
—Rachel
Preserved Lemons
18 lemons, washed and dried
1 cup kosher salt
Remove the stem of the lemon. Quarter the lemon lengthwise, with two cuts three-quarters of the way. Make sure that the lemon stays intact.
Stuff all sides of the lemon with a generous amount of salt and squeeze lemon closed.
Place lemon inside a 1-liter glass jar with an airtight lid. Repeat the salting process, then push down each lemon. Add more lemons until the jar is full.
Add the juice of 2 lemons.
Seal jar tightly and shake contents. Leave on countertop.
The following day, add several more lemons. Repeat the following day, until the jar is full and no more lemons can be added.
Shake daily so that the brine coats the lemons.
After one week, place jar in the refrigerator.
Lemons will be ready to use in three weeks.
Israeli Salad with Preserved Lemon
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 Persian cucumbers, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 avocado, diced
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 rind of preserved lemon, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Place tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onion, avocado, Italian parsley, green onions and preserved lemon in a bowl.
Just before serving, pour olive oil and lemon juice over the vegetables, then sprinkle the salt over the salad.
Toss well.
Blend any leftovers to make a gazpacho.
Rachel Sheff and Sharon Gomperts have been friends since high school. They love cooking and sharing recipes. They have collaborated on Sephardic Educational Center projects and community cooking classes. Follow them on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.
