Zest for life
Lemons are one of my desert island ingredients, says Rachel Allen, who has some tasty recipes — including a refreshing tipple — using the zingy fruit
Endlessly valuable and versatile in the kitchen, the lemon is one of my top five desert island ingredients. Less sweet than an orange, yet not as tart as a lime, with a flavour that has more friends than all of its citrus cousins combined, lemon is a vital seasoning for so many dishes. Like salt and pepper, lemon has the ability to really enhance the flavour of the food it’s squeezed on to. Just a few drops of the lemon’s magic can give a simple piece of fish or fruit instant inspiration.
More than any other meat, chicken works wonderfully with lemon. The sweet mildness of chicken accommodates lemon’s sharpness perfectly. Before roasting a chicken, place a few lemon segments inside, along with a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary — the lemon will give a lovely fresh, zingy note to the meat. This lemon chicken roasted with fennel and leeks recipe, right, is perfect for a lazy bank holiday weekend. Supremely simple and quick to throw together, it’s a deliciously light way to dine at this time of the year, al fresco or not.
That perfect balance of sweet and sour makes lemons ideal for desserts, not forgetting that the zest of the lemon has a gorgeously intense flavouring. Paired with meringues in a pie, or cutting through a thick, creamy cheesecake, lemons invariably make a mouthwatering pudding. I love these lemon curd cupcakes, far right. They are great fun to bake at home and are delicious with a cup of tea, or glass of milk. This recipe makes a bit more lemon curd than you’ll need in the cupcakes, but the excess will keep in the fridge for a week, so you can enjoy it spread on meringues, crumpets or scones, for a sweet zingy treat another day.
And for a completely adult unadulterated lemon flavour, try making your own lemon liqueur, like the Italian limoncello, also far right. I promise it’s worth waiting the few months it takes for it to mature.
“More than any other meat, chicken works wonderfully with lemon”