Lemon in recipes
Let's take a look at the lemon, yellow or green, which is used in a whole host of recipes, both sweet and savoury. It brings both its taste, and the small acidity that makes its charm. Mind you, I'm not talking about lemon used as an anti-oxidant that prevents it from turning black, or to just spice up the taste of a dish, but as an ingredient in a recipe, like "something with lemon".
13 K 5/5 (14 reviews)
Last modified on: October 23th 2017
Lemon in recipes
In many of these recipes, you very often have two options: zest, or juice, meaning that you use one or the other in the recipe depending on the "tone" you want to give it. Let's say, to simplify things a bit, that when you want the tangy side of the lemon, you use the juice.
And when you want the lemony but more neutral tone, you use the zest.
Well... in principle it makes sense, but in reality it's not really a good practice, because lemon flavours are both complex and at the same time complementary. In fact, you should not limit yourself to one or the other, but try to combine both, both sweet and savoury.
Let's take a savoury example: lemon chicken. There are 36 ways to make it of course, but do you know the one where you simply pan-fry chicken fillets in a little clarified butter and lemon zest, then drizzle lemon juice over them at the end to finish them off by gently caramelising? The mix of the two, zest and juice, will give a very marked "lemon" tone to your chicken, and a great taste!
And a sweet example: the lemon tart. Here too, there are a large number of recipes, personally I am an absolute fan of the sanded pastry + lemon custard, and for the custard, you need to infuse the milk with the zest, and add lemon juice to the custard as soon as it's done cooking. You will also have a very, very marked "lemon" identity, which will have a small effect when tasting.
In summary: In a recipe that uses lemon, always try to use zest and juice.
And when you want the lemony but more neutral tone, you use the zest.
Well... in principle it makes sense, but in reality it's not really a good practice, because lemon flavours are both complex and at the same time complementary. In fact, you should not limit yourself to one or the other, but try to combine both, both sweet and savoury.
Let's take a savoury example: lemon chicken. There are 36 ways to make it of course, but do you know the one where you simply pan-fry chicken fillets in a little clarified butter and lemon zest, then drizzle lemon juice over them at the end to finish them off by gently caramelising? The mix of the two, zest and juice, will give a very marked "lemon" tone to your chicken, and a great taste!
And a sweet example: the lemon tart. Here too, there are a large number of recipes, personally I am an absolute fan of the sanded pastry + lemon custard, and for the custard, you need to infuse the milk with the zest, and add lemon juice to the custard as soon as it's done cooking. You will also have a very, very marked "lemon" identity, which will have a small effect when tasting.
In summary: In a recipe that uses lemon, always try to use zest and juice.
Lasts posts
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".April 25th 20251,0475
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20251,5725
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20253,095
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20243,5505
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...December 13th 20243,6335
Other pages you may also like
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...March 6th 201374 K4.0
Kitchen ovens
You certainly have one in your kitchen, an oven, the essential tool for all kinds of cooking, whether in the kitchen of course, but also in pastry, bakery, pizza, and many others. Here is some information on its structure and operation.May 16th 202029 K4.4
The 3 kinds of meringue
Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...June 14th 201360 K4.5
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021140 K4.5
Parmesan cheese crusts
If you use Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) in your recipes, you may have already noticed: when you grate it, it becomes (very) difficult near the crust, especially if it is a slightly aged parmesan, as the cheese gets harder and harder. So we stop grating, leaving some crust on top, and a...September 14th 202214 K4.8
Post a comment or question
Follow this page (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.