Get the best of the zest

Don’t let tonight’s dinner turn into a lemon. Follow these handy tips to get the best from cooking with citrus

Be wary with dairy. A squeeze of fresh citrus juice into a creamy sauce will add brightness, but add too much and the dairy will curdle.

Don’t zest ahead. Zesting a lot of citrus is a lot of work, but don’t be tempted to do it in advance. The longer zest sits, the drier, less fragrant, and less flavourful it will become.

Use the whole fruit. Don’t be afraid to use a whole lemon. Add sliced citrus fruit to fish, or stuff a whole chicken with a halved lemon. Just remove the seeds first as they can be bitter.