American

Lemon Confit from ‘Taste & Technique’ by Naomi Pomeroy

July 18, 2024
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Chris Court © 2016
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 24 hours
  • makes 1 1/2 cup
Author Notes

The Food52 Cookbook Club cooked through Naomi Pomeroy's"Taste and Technique" in March of 2023. Upon hearing of her passing (July 13, 2024), we are revisiting her recipes in tribute.

From Naomi’s introduction:

This is an ingredient I like to have around for adding an unexpected pop of flavor to many dishes. I use it anywhere you might use preserved lemon. I also add the oil to salad dressings and long-cooked vegetables. This is probably my number one go-to condiment. You will need to plan ahead, however, as the recipe takes 24 hours to complete.
Linsey Sowa

Test Kitchen Notes

Reprinted with permission from "Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking" by Naomi Pomeroy with Jamie Feldmar, copyright © 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
—The Editors

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Ingredients
  • 3 lemon rinds
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
Directions
  1. Cut away most of the spongy white pith of the rinds, leaving only the yellow peel and about 1⁄16 inch (about the thickness of a quarter) of the pith. Cut the trimmed rinds into strips about 1⁄8 inch wide and 1 inch long (see recipe photo).
  2. Place the lemon strips in a 2-quart saucepan and add the fennel pollen, sugar, salt, oil, and garlic. Place over low heat and slowly bring to a very gentle simmer, with tiny bubbles no bigger than those in Champagne, stirring frequently to ensure the sugar and salt dissolve. Once the mixture begins to gently bubble, keep a close eye on the saucepan, ensuring the heat is as low as possible. I use a diffuser to keep the heat low enough; if the heat gets too high, the lemon rind will fry and become tough rather than soft. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until a piece of lemon removed from the oil is tender all the way through.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside, covered, at room temperature to allow the flavors marry overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

2 Reviews

Nicole D. August 3, 2024
i meant to leave 5 stars! This was definitely a project, about 1.5 hours start to finish. But the end product is like liquid gold. So much flavor in the oil and slivers of lemon. Just add a little to a salad and it takes off.
Linsey S. August 8, 2024
Liquid Gold-- I couldn't agree more!