Okay, we know we said on Wednesday that we were done with the Cover to Cover Project. But here's one more post, and then we're on to new dishes.
Promise.
There were 38 recipes that we assigned reader-chefs to cook from the September issue of Bon Appetit. But really, there were 39 recipes in the issue. Because of time constraints, we felt that we couldn't assign anyone to cook the Homemade Preserved Lemons, since they cure in the refrigerator for two weeks. (We learned our lesson from 2012, when we assigned readers to make a cocktail that not only called for six weeks of aging, but also required an aged oak barrel. Whoops!)
So we made homemade preserved lemons ourselves.
Years ago, we made Lemon Confit from Food & Wine, and have made it a few times since over the years. They're such a nice thing to have in the fridge -- we especially love using it with fish. We're hoping these will be just as good.
It also just happens that this recipe is from Rolf and Daughters in Nashville. Zach's parents just had dinner there, and sent us a copy of the menu. It's high on our list for places to try the next time we're down home.
Well, we made the lemons, but we haven't quite gotten around to using them yet (they still need another week to cure.) Off the bat, we're a bit disappointed that ours aren't as pretty as the ones in the magazine. Because really, it was the photo of these lemons (below) that sold us. We're assuming the food stylist left out the turmeric for the photos (tricky tricky!), which is why the brine in the magazine is so clear.
Perhaps you should whip up a batch this weekend, then we'll compare notes in a few weeks.
Two quick things before the recipe:
We made a terrible omission in our wrap-up of this project that ranked the recipes. Somehow one of the most popular recipes fell off our list. Though Fat Rice is still a winner, she has to share a crown with Skate Wing Schnitzel. More on that in Wednesday's (updated!) post ranking the recipes.
BonAppetit.com did a nice feature on the wrap-up of the Cover to Cover Project, picking some of their favorite photos that readers submitted. You can see the gallery on their site!
Homemade Preserved Lemons in the Style of Rolf and Daughters
Bon Appetit (September 2013)
Subscribe to Bon Appetit
(This photo: Bon Appetit)
Step 1: Boil 4 scrubbed lemons until softened, 10-12 minutes.
Step 2: Transfer lemons to a bowl of ice water. Reserve cooking liquid.
Step 3: Using a paring knife, deeply score lengthwise 4 times leaving lemons intact.
Step 4: Whisk 2/3 cup sugar, 7 Tablespoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 clove, and 3 cups hot cooking liquid in a bowl. Transfer lemons to a 1-quart heatproof jar and add brine. Cover and chill at least 2 weeks.
