Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons have been a staple of North African cooking for centuries – packed in salt, carried across trade routes, used to brighten tagines and vinaigrettes and everything in between. Meyer lemons are ideal – their thin skin and sweeter flesh preserve particularly well – but any lemon will work. The process transforms the lemon entirely. The rind softens and loses its bitterness, the pith mellows, and what's left is something deeply savory, floral, and bright – nothing like a fresh lemon, and more useful in the kitchen than you might expect.
Wash 12 lemons well. Starting at the stem end, cut a deep X into each one, stopping about a quarter inch from the base so the lemon stays in one piece. Set them aside.
Toast 3 tablespoons each of coriander and fennel seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. In a bowl, combine the toasted seeds with 2 cups of coarse sea salt, a dried guajillo chile, 6 fresh thyme sprigs, half a cinnamon stick crushed, 2 bay leaves crumbled, and 1 tbsp of black peppercorns. Mix well.
Working over the bowl, stuff each lemon generously with the salt mixture, pressing it into the cuts with your thumb so the juices begin to run. Pack the lemons tightly into a sterilized 2-quart glass jar, pressing down firmly as you go. Pour any remaining salt and juice from the bowl over the top. Seal the jar.
Leave it at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks, until the rinds have softened completely. It will keep, tightly sealed, for up to 6 months.
Adapted from a recipe by Travis Lett in Gjelina: Cooking from Venice, CA
