I 'uncorked' my preserved lemons the other day. I used a recipe from Gregg and Lucy Malouf's "Moorish" cookbook of Middle Eastern recipes. This dish is breathtaking. Really wonderful.
The recipe calls for lemon rind only which leave some lovely pulp. Since I hate to waste anything, I muddled the lemon pulp with cucumber juice, added a pinch of salt, and topped it with fizzy water for a fabulous preserved lemon and cucumber soda.
I use a pressure cooker for risotto, and anyone who's ever used one will swear it's the ONLY way to make risotto. The entire prep and cooking time for this recipe is about 20-25 minutes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, use the same ingredients in the same proportions, but make it in the conventional manner.
Preserved lemon risotto
(adapted for a pressure cooker from “Moorish” a Middle Eastern cook book by Gregg and Lucy Malouf)
1 1/2 cups risotto
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (divided use)
1 preserved lemon, peel only, finely chopped (divided use)
2 stalks celery, fine dice
1/2 onion, fine dice
2 Tbsp XVOO
2 oz dry white wine
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan (or grana padana)
Salt TT
Saute onion and celery in OO until slightly translucent. Add wine and reduce by half. Add rice, stir to coat completely. Add 1/2 preserved lemon peel. Add 3 c stock. Bring to a simmer, close pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for six minutes. Use quick release method at the end of six minutes (hold the cooker under cold running water, quickly reducing pressure). Unseal pressure cooker. Risotto should be almost fully cooked, with plenty of liquid. Bring to a simmer, add butter and the remaining lemon. Add additional stock if needed. Season, fold in parmesan and serve immediately.
Salud!
