When life gives you lemons…
… transform them into glorious cakes and delicious dinners, says Angela Hartnett, and celebrate the sunny citrus in all its guises
The beauty of lemons is their versatility: they can brighten both savoury and sweet dishes. A great alternative to vinegars to add acidity, lemon can lift and finish a dish, particularly if it’s rich or buttery – pepping it up with sharpness. There’s no reason you should ever throw a lemon out: even if it’s a little wrinkly, you can still use up the juice.
They work with everything – as marinades for fish and meat, as well as in desserts – except perhaps game meat, although you can use sweeter orange instead. In fact, the citrus family as a whole works across all kinds of cuisines, from Chinese lemon chicken to Middle Eastern tagines, and can be used in so many elements of cooking – so it’s an interesting chef ’s ingredient.
In Italian cuisine, lemon works particularly well in fishy pasta dishes, sorbets and crostatas: we serve a caramelised Amalfi lemon tart at Murano all year round, and people love it. Other favourite lemony dishes of mine – other than those featured here – include Swiss chard, ricotta and lemon tortellini, which we serve at Café Murano, and simple radicchio leaf salads finished with fresh lemon rind – such an easy addition, but so effective.
The south of Italy, and particularly the Amalfi coast, is famous for its lemons. I’ve visited before to see limoncello being made, and it’s beautiful to see the lemon groves stretching over the hills.
The farfalle with dill and brown shrimps featured overleaf is more of an English-Italian dish; brown shrimps aren’t used often in Italy (you’re more likely to use fresh prawns) but this is a great way to use the likes of Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, which you can get hold of readily in supermarkets here.
When adding lemon juice, as with all seasoning, taste as you go to get the balance right. Just a squeeze – even if you can’t taste its flavour – can do wonders.
There’s no reason to ever throw a lemon out; even if it’s a little wrinkly you can still use the juice