SAVOUR & SIP
ELISHA EATS
Yellow and seriously sour, lemons are sure to put a pep in your step. Elisha Young (aka @elisha.eats on Instagram) explores the best ways to enjoy this bright citrus LEMONS When life gives you
L et’s be honest: you likely have one languishing in your fridge. Most likely in the bottom drawer – maybe a bit wrinkly and shrivelled from age and desiccation. Such is the sad fate of many lemons. They’re readily available from supermarkets and often kept in home kitchens ‘just in case’, yet people aren’t entirely sure what to do with them. Luckily, lemons are an ideal ingredient to spotlight this month – they’re a cheerful, sunshine yellow to match the spring weather; their sharp, acidic flavour adds lift and balance to dishes that otherwise seem bland or lacking. Typically, when you taste a dish and find it’s missing a certain je ne sais quoi, it needs a good dose of acid. Sour is one of the five main flavours we can taste – alongside sweet, salty, bitter and umami – but it’s sadly one that gets overlooked. Of course, you can make use of other acidic ingredients like vinegar, sour cream, wine, tomatoes and even coffee. But lemons have a beautiful, bright flavour; they’re incredibly versatile and are easily available. Like other citrus fruits (including limes, oranges and pomelos), lemons are fragrant and acidic. However, they’re much more sour than their cousins, so you probably wouldn’t want to peel and eat one raw – but if curiosity overcomes you, please don’t let me stand in your way. As a component of a meal though, they’re incredibly handy. The zest can be used for sweet and savoury baking, in marinades for meat and fish, as a finishing touch on salads, or as a garnish for cocktails. Lemon juice is often particularly useful for heavy, greasy meals. For example, think about how a squeeze of lemon juice on top of calamari or fried chicken adds a delicious contrast. The juice is also a great component for salad dressings, where it can replace the vinegar and will add a subtle bitterness. Despite how summery and exotic lemons seem, you can indeed grow them in the UK, especially if you have a sunny spot in your garden that’s well-protected
A SQUEEZE OF YELLOW These lemon cakelets are baked in a lemon-shaped cake pan and infused with a zesty essence in the batter
© ELISHA YOUNG
As much as I like lemons in savoury food, there’s nothing better than using them in something sweet. British cuisine has embraced lemons wholeheartedly – you can spread lemon curd on scones at afternoon tea, enjoy a luscious posset at a dinner party, or watch amateur bakers scramble to steam a whole lemon inside a Sussex pond pudding on The Great British Bake Off . The most iconic dish of all? Lemon drizzle cake. With a mouth-puckering sourness tempered by sweetness – plus a moist, juicy texture and a crackly sugar glaze – this cake is the epitome of pure, joyful lemon flavour. It’s an instant mood-booster, easy to make and tastes perfect with a cup of tea.
from cold winds. But if that seems like too much effort, of course you can also hunt down some beautiful varieties at Culinaris, Harvest, Meadows and stalls on the Cambridge markets. If you’re in the mood for seafood with a lemony twist, Fin Boys on Mill Road could be your best bet. For a lemon cocktail, Novi offers plenty of options, as well as several non-alcoholic choices including a tasty and refreshing mint lemonade. Or, for another choice of tipple, head to the aptly named Limoncello. If you’re searching for a sweet treat, you can’t go wrong with Fitzbillies’ lemon cake – or the gelato from Aromi, which uses lemons from an organic farm in Syracuse, Sicily.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK APRIL 2024 43
Powered by FlippingBook