Salt Your Lemons Tonight for a Punchier Dinner Tomorrow

But I plow right through the preserved lemons. Not just because I cook a lot of tagine (which I do) but because their intensely citrusy, floral pungency has so much range beyond their native cuisines of North Africa and the Middle East. Whatever needs a jolt of fruity, funky, salty acidity—sauces, seafood, grain bowls, sandwich fillings—preserved lemons just work. Which is why I occasionally run out. 

It’s easy enough to make your own, but it takes time—6 to 8 weeks. After curing that long, the rind softens and the lemons take on this uniquely bright, funky flavor.

But if you need them for, say, tomorrow night’s dinner and your local market doesn’t stock them, you can approximate their punch and soft texture with this done-in-a-day facsimile. It’s based on a version from Jeff Cerciello, chef at Los Angeles’s Farmshop. 

Just as with real preserved lemons, you simply slice or chop these up, rind and all, and stir them into the food. 

These lemons lack the intensity of the real deal but still boast plenty of complexity thanks to the following three tricks. 

1. Thinly slice the lemons. This maximizes their surface area so that salt and sugar can penetrate more quickly.
2. Add sugar. A little bit of sweetness helps offset acidity and bitterness.
3. Add oil. Oil helps soften the pith.