Three Tasty Ways to Eat Whole Lemon
There have been four nore’esters in my area of the country in the past six weeks, which means the local produce in March was less than inspiring. As a result, I leaned on lemons even harder than usual to brighten up my meal.
I’m a convinced lemon freak. I love their bright acidity and light bitterness in sweet and savory applications, and I firmly believe that a squeeze of lemon ties any dish together; I buy them in shocking quantities, usually storing one to three pounds in my fresh food drawer. It makes sense, then, that earlier this month I got a copy of Alison Roman’s Lemon Cookbook for my birthday – and I’ve been cooking with it non-stop ever since.
This book covers all the basics, but also introduced me to the concept of cooking using the whole lemon . I can’t believe I haven’t tried it before; I’ve always loved the lemon shaker, but it never crossed my mind to use whole lemons in other applications. The pulp to rind approach not only eliminates waste from juicing alone, but the heart and rind also provide a complex flavor and textural contrast that cannot be obtained from juice alone.
If you love lemons as much as I do, then you should start consuming the whole fruit whole. I’ve compiled three amazing whole lemon recipes here – two adapted from Alison Roman’s Lemon Cookbook , and one of my own to start with.
A note about seeds
Even though these are “whole lemon” recipes, you still need to remove the seeds. The heart and rind are pleasantly bitter, but the seeds are not pleasant at all.
The easiest way to sow a lemon is to cut it into 1/4 inch (or thinner) slices and remove the seeds with your fingers or the tip of a knife. The number of seeds will vary from lemon to lemon – some don’t have them at all, some have a heck of a lot of them – and the thin slices expose every single one. The process is as complicated as it sounds, but it goes quickly: I can slice and sow a lemon in less than a minute, and I cook at a fairly leisurely pace.
Whole lemonade
This is the first recipe in a lemon cookbook, and it’s amazing: extremely simple, hearty, infinitely healthy, and full of lemon flavor.
(Based on Short Stack Editions, Vol. 13: Lemons , Alison Roman)
Equipment
- Wide Necked Mason Jar (Quart Size) or Plastic Soup Container with Lid
- Cocktail traveler, sturdy wooden spoon or French rolling pin
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices and seeded
- ¼ – ½ cup sugar (I used half a cup and found it very sweet; next time I use less)
- 3-4 glasses of water
Directions
Place the lemons and sugar in a sturdy quart-sized container, such as a wide-mouth Mason jar or plastic soup container. Use your tool to aggressively stir the lemons and sugar together until the sugar dissolves and the lemons are completely broken down; I used a tapered rolling pin and this step took me about 90 seconds of continuous beats .
Pour enough water to fill the container, close the lid tightly, and shake to dissolve the stray sugar granules. Serve with ice in its entirety or with seltzer, but if you ask me, this drink requires a drink. I mixed equal parts lemonade and iced gin, added some Campari and named it Whole Pink Lemonade. This is my new summer drink.
Salsa Verde made from whole lemon
Lemonade may be the first recipe in the book, but this is the first recipe I made, and it was so good that I repeated it twice more before the week was over. The version below is adapted to my liking – more lemon, more cilantro, and a generous serving of red pepper flakes for warmth – and I encourage you to do the same.
(Based on Short Stack Editions, Vol. 13: Lemons , Alison Roman)
Ingredients:
- 1 medium lemon, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 finely chopped onions
- 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
- Up to 1 tsp. Dried red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt (or table salt)
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 bunch of cilantro (if you hate cilantro, use a mixture of other leafy herbs equal in volume to parsley)
- ½ cup olive oil
Directions:
Combine chopped lemon, chives, garlic, and pepper flakes in a bowl or glass measuring cup; add salt and stir. Let the mixture cool while you grind the herbs.
Finely chop the parsley and cilantro and add to the bowl with the other ingredients. Pour in the olive oil, stir well and try seasoning. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed, then cover and refrigerate until tender.
You must take it within 48 hours, which is not difficult; it goes with everything. I love it to be put on black beans and rice, or mixed with mayonnaise and spread over fried egg sandwiches.
Whole Lemon Greek Potatoes
I’m totally obsessed with lemons patatas , a Greek dish of potatoes baked in lemon-seasoned chicken broth: rich and satisfying enough to stand alone, but sour enough to complement fatty cuts of meat; I could eat them every day and was always excited about the new taste. This version is my own creation and one of my best works to date – the lemon slices are caramelized in the oven, turning into small chewy pieces full of lemon sweetness.
Note . Chicken broth (or concentrate, which is not a compromise here) is non-negotiable for meat eaters, but if you’re vegetarian or vegan try adding some nutritious yeast broth a la vegan pho by Andrea Nguyen . This will add some much needed chicken richness.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb potatoes (any variety will work except red), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp. Fine sea salt or table salt
- 2 cups chicken stock or water with chicken concentrate
- 2 medium lemons, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning (I use the Iberia brand because it contains monosodium glutamate)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 475ºF. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over low heat for a minute to warm up, then add olive oil. Raise the heat to medium-high and heat until the oil starts to shimmer – a few tiny jets of smoke will work as well.
Gently add the chopped potatoes to the hot oil, season with salt and cook for five minutes, turning halfway to brown evenly. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the chicken stock, lemons, adobo, oregano, and (optional) the garlic cloves in a soup bowl or glass measuring cup. When the potatoes are browned, pour the broth over the potatoes, stir gently to distribute, and transfer to the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes if you want dense potatoes with a little sauce (the sauce is very good, yes), or up to an hour if you want drier, deeply browned potatoes. Serve with anything, or separately in a bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley and toast to absorb the sauce. They’re also great the next day, pan-fried until crispy and served with sunny eggs and some meat for breakfast.
Thanks to this hyper-specific cookbook, I now have a whole list of lemon projects to tackle while spring produce hits the market. The lemon shaker pie is of course a must before the Meyer lemons disappear, but I also plan on a whole lemon vinaigrette (zest, seeds, and suppressed so I can mashed the pulp with butter, garlic and seasoning), whole lime guacamole, and key lime shaker. Even if you’re not a big citrus fan, I hope these recipes inspire you to look at your favorite ingredients with new eyes and discover hidden uses that you will use in the future.