We here at Skillet love it brown our food. We brown it deeply and thoroughly. We also like to caramelize. And while onions and other alliums get most of the attention when it comes to browning and caramelizing, let me draw your attention to another food that is transformed by the power of non-enzymatic browning and caramelizing:he humble lemon.
As acid head are lemons important to me. Besides the obvious pie applications like lemonade, vinaigrettes and tea, almost any savory dish is enhanced with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. But fresh lemon flavor is not what we are talking about today. Caramelized lemons are not fresh, but they are tasty.
Frying a lemon in olive oil concentrates the existing flavors while creating new ones. The pulp melts away and the water evaporates, leaving behind caramelized sugars, soft skin and nice little brown bits. Eating a bit of caramelized lemon is an intense experience. It’s still quite sharp and slightly bitter, but anchored with small moments of toasted, almost toffee-like sweetness.
Caramelized lemons can be used in both sweet and savory applications. Carolina Gelen uses them to make a caramelized lemon vinaigrette, but I have sprinkled them on all sorts of things with wild abandon. My favorites so far are GGreek yogurt with lots of honey (it tastes a bit like a delicate lemon pie filling), any rice dish and bowls of creamy pasta. I think they’d also be great in a yogurt-based dipping sauce, or tossed with a roasted vegetable. Because caramelized lemons are so intense on their own, they do best when combined with sugar, fat, or both. Use them as an accent for the rich and sweet or the rich and salty, and be prepared to fall in love.
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Caramelized lemons
Ingredients:
- Lemons, cut into 1/8 inch rounds, seeds removed
- Olive oil
Add enough oil to a large sauté pan or skillet to just cover the bottom. (Don’t use cast iron as cast iron doesn’t handle acid.) Turn the heat up to medium. Add the lemon slices in a single layer and cook, turning if necessary, until all the pulp has disintegrated and the slices are thoroughly cooked.brown on both sides. The browner they are, the less sharp they will be.
Place them on a cutting board and cut them into small pieces. Put the small pieces on things, and place them in stuff. I recommend starting with a full-fat yogurt and lots of honey. (Don’t try this with non-fat; you will hate yourself and the lemons, and it won’t be the lemons’ fault.)