Preserved Lemons and Chicken Tagine
Okay, so I hadn't even heard of preserved lemons until about two months ago. I was commenting that our lemon trees were overloaded with fruit, and there was only so much lemonade and lemon curd I could make. Which is when a client suggested, "why not make preserved lemons?"
Preserved lemons are lemons "pickled" in lemon juice and salt. When you let them sit in the fridge, the rind and pith break down so that you can eat them. Basically, you can use them wherever you might use salt and lemons: salads, sandwiches, pastas, etc. Preserved lemons are used a lot in Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian cuisine.
Which brings me to tagines. Tagines refer to a type of Moroccan/North African cookware. Made of clay or ceramic, you use it as a slow cooker of sorts, either on the stove or in the oven. Dishes made using it are referred to as tagines. They typically involve some sort of protein, vegetables, dried fruit...the possibilities are endless.
I'm still new to all of this but suffice to say I've become obsessed. So below is a simple recipe to make preserved lemons, and then my favorite tagine recipe (to date). Preserved lemons take some time, but you will be rewarded for your patience. (And if you don't want to wait, I think you can buy them at Trader Joe's too.)