SC - use for lemon

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Seton1355 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> I got the following from another food list. It isn't especially period but
> seems like a really good idea.  I will have to try it soon. (for those of us
> who can;'t eat olives)  What do y'all think?
> Phillipa Seton
> *******************************************

Middle Eastern, North African cuisines, and some dishes from India use
pickled lemon (peel only) in exactly this way. 

Citrus peel as a seasoning ends up in lots of other places, too,
including at least one Hungarian garnish faintly similar to gremolata,
bouillabaisse, and some Chinese soups ;  ) . 

> by the way, i discovered a few years ago that teeny tiny bits of fresh
> lemon--diced up verrry fine, peel and all--has an effect very similar to
> olives when scattered over a pizza or in a pasta containing tomatoes:
> they add a top note of flavor that quickens everything else, but w/out
> the briney sharpness of olives.  keep the pieces tiny, though, and use
> them sparingly; you just want brightness, not an overpowering lemony
> flavor.  i add them along w/ everything else before baking (i think the
> baking mellows them and keeps them from being too "pointy"), but you
> could add them afterwards as a garnish.
> 
> while i'm on the subject, i might as well mention gremolata:  mince one
> garlic clove and a handful of parsley together very fine and fluff
> together with the grated zest of a lemon (i sometimes use small bits of
> whole lemon--a quarter to a half, depending on size--instead of zest and
> just pulse everything in the food processor a few times).  this is
> wonderful as a garnish for pizza, a plate of sliced tomatoes, grilled
> marinated eggplant, peppers, onions, portobello mushrooms, tofu, etc.,
> or tossed together as a salad with white button mushrooms sliced
> paperthin and salt and pepper (let it sit for a half hour or so in the
> fridge to marry the flavors and allow the mushrooms to give up a bit of
> their juice).  also try gremolata in potato salad or sprinkled over
> roasted baby red bliss potatoes.

Gremolata is a classic accompaniment for risottos.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com