Meyer Lemon Confit Recipes

LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Slice lemons 1/8-inch thick. Layer half the lemons slices and shallots in a pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of salt. Repeat layering process with remaining ingredients. Cover the pan with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the top layer of lemons. Leave the pan overnight or up to 48 hours. Rinse the lemon slices and use as you would preserved lemons.

LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds; drain. Repeat twice. Bring 6 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 1 hour. Cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled and completely covered in oil. Always use clean fork to remove lemon.

CANDIED MEYER LEMONS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves.
• Add lemon slices, cover surface with parchment paper, reduce heat, and simmer until rinds are translucent, about 30 minutes.
• Let cool in syrup.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove slices to a wire rack positioned over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Let syrup drip off.

MEYER LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.
• Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
• In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.

PRESERVED MEYER LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub lemons and dry well. Quarter lemons lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch at bottom intact. Toss fruit with salt and transfer to a sterile 4-cup glass jar. Use a wooden spoon to press lemons to fit. Add lemon juice and any remaining salt. Seal jar tightly and shake to combine. Let stand at room temperature for 3 days, shaking jar each day. Transfer to refrigerator for 3 weeks until rinds are soft. Rinse before using. Try them in salads or stews, or whisk the pulp into a salad dressing or a Bloody Mary.

LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150°F.
• Scrub the lemons and cut off the ends to expose the flesh. Cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices and remove the seeds.
• Weigh the lemons, then weigh out an equal amount of sugar.
• Sprinkle a layer of sugar in the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange a layer of lemon slices on top, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with sugar. Arrange another layer of lemons and sprinkle again with sugar. If you want, you can make one more layer of lemons and sugar, but there should be no more than three layers. Barely cover with water.
• Cut a piece of parchment to fit the dish and cover the lemons. Bake until the lemons are slightly transparent, about 2 hours.
• Let cool and store in the refrigerator. The confit will keep for a couple of weeks.