Best 11 Moroccan Preserved Lemons Recipes

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat and gristle from meat and cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Place meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron; sprinkle over the meat and set aside.
• On a cutting board, mince together the orange zest, cilantro leaves, garlic, and salt until you have a paste. Add to the meat along with the orange juice and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Transfer the mixture to a heavy pot, add the onions, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer (or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven) until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add olives and, if using, preserved lemon to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes more, then serve.
• Wash a 1-pint glass-canning jar and its lid with hot soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Cut 6 of the lemons, 1 at a time, into quarters through 1 end without cutting all the way through the other end. You want the lemon to open out like a flower, but not to separate. Place the lemon on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper, spread quarters open and sprinkle flesh with a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt; put the lemon into the jar. Continue with remaining lemons, sprinkling salt on each. Pack the lemons in the jar tightly, filling it to the top (you may need more or less than 6 lemons, depending on their size). When you reach the top, lift the parchment and pour the excess salt from it into the jar of lemons.
• Slide the bay leaves down opposite sides of the jar. Juice the remaining lemons 1 by 1, adding juice to the jar, until it reaches the top. Seal jar, shake well, and let stand at room temperature, shaking well every 12 hours, for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer jar to the refrigerator, continuing to shake every day. Lemons are preserved after 3 weeks and keep up to several months in the refrigerator.
• To use lemons, pull out as needed and scrape away pulp. Dice peel and use as a condiment.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN TAGINE WITH PRESERVED LEMONS, FENNEL, OLIVES, AND HARISSA

Steps:

• Mix paprika, cumin, salt, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
• Pat chicken thighs dry and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Sprinkle paprika mixture over chicken thighs; massage the bag to coat chicken evenly.
• Heat oil in a tagine over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Cook and stir fennel, onion, and garlic in the tagine. Stir in half of the garbanzo beans, chicken broth, 1/2 cup green olives, harissa, 1/2 of the preserved lemon, and ginger.
• Lay chicken over garbanzo bean mixture; sprinkle remaining olives on top. Scatter cherry tomatoes on top. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Combine remaining garbanzo beans with 2 tablespoons of broth from the tagine in a food processor or blender; blend into a thin paste.
• Transfer chicken to a serving dish. Stir garbanzo bean paste into the tagine. Simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Spoon broth mixture over chicken.
• Garnish with remaining preserved lemon and toasted almonds.

MOROCCAN FISH TAGINE WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES, AND PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until toasted and fragrant; grind to a fine powder. Transfer cumin to a mortar or jar of a blender and add garlic, salt, paprika, parsley, cilantro, pulp of preserved lemon, and olive oil. Puree to make a charmoula, using a pestle or by blending.
• Rinse fish and pat dry. If using monkfish, cut away grey membrane and divide the fish into 4 equal pieces. Rub half of the charmoula all over fish; let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours, refrigerated. Add 1/2 cup water to remaining charmoula, cover, and keep refrigerated.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread 2 tablespoons reserved charmoula over the bottom of a tagine; sprinkle with carrots and celery. Add half of the tomatoes and bell peppers; top with fish and drizzle with some of the charmoula. Add remaining tomatoes and bell peppers and spread remaining charmoula over top.
• Chop preserved lemon peel and sprinkle around fish along with olives and bay leaves. Cover tagine with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
• Remove tagine from oven and pour liquid from dish into a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup; pour back over fish.
• Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Baste fish with pan juices and bake, uncovered, in top third of oven until a crust has formed over the vegetables, about 10 minutes. Transfer tagine to a wooden surface or a folded kitchen towel to prevent cracking. Garnish with cilantro sprigs; serve warm or hot.

MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Scrub lemons thoroughly under cold running water. Cut each lemon into quarters, but do not cut all the way through the top, so that the lemon still holds together.
• Rub lemons generously with salt inside and out and along all the cuts. Place them in a large sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add lukewarm water to cover; the lemons should be fully immersed. Screw on the lid and let cure for 1 month in a dark, dry, and cool place.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Remove excess fat from chicken, rinse well inside and out and pat dry. Rub chickens with lemon inside and out and under skin of breasts. Rub with sea salt and set aside to marinate in a nonreactive baking dish, covered and refrigerated, overnight. Next day, rinse chickens again and pat dry.
• In a flameproof casserole large enough to hold both chickens combine cilantro, parsley, garlic, ginger, saffron, preserved lemon and pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup water and chickens, turning to coat thoroughly, and rubbing some of the mixture inside. Add reserved giblets, except livers. Pour oil over and bring to a simmer over low heat. When chicken begins to sizzle, add onions, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add livers and paprika and continue to cook, covered, 1 hour more.
• Remove chickens to a carving board and let rest, covered loosely with foil, while you finish the sauce. Cut giblets into small pieces and return to sauce. Using a fork, crush livers into sauce to thicken. Sauce should be thick -- if it is thin, boil until reduced and thickened. Add butter and olives. Heat, swirling pan, until sauce is emulsified. To serve, cut chickens into quarters and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon sauce over and garnish with lemon peel.

MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash and dry lemons. Cut each lemon lengthwise into quarters, but only two-thirds of the way through, so one end remains intact. Rub the insides with 1 to 2 teaspoons salt. In 2 one-quart jars or 1 two-quart jar, layer lemons, remaining salt, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pack the lemons as tightly as possible. Pour the lemon juice over the lemons until they are submerged.
• Close jar or jars tightly. Place in a warm spot to ripen for at least 1 week before using. Gently shake the jars daily to redistribute salt. Store in the refrigerator. To use preserved lemons, remove amount needed from jar, remove flesh, and discard; rinse rind under cold water to remove excess salt.

MOROCCAN SPICED PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Pour the lemon juice in a large glass jar then add the spices & 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
• Slice the lemon 5 times, from top to bottom, leaving 1/2 inch at both ends. Squeeze open each slit & add a generous amount of sea salt into each opening. Gently reshape the fruit when you are done. Repeat for each lemon.
• Pack the lemons into the jar, pressing them down to release their juices & to make room for the remaining lemons. Add any remaining salt to the jar. Cover the lemons the rest of the way with water then seal with a lid, leaving some air space at the top.
• Let ripen for at least 30 days in a warm place. Shake the jar a couple times a week to distribute the salt & spices.
• Preserved lemons do not need to be refrigerated & will keep up to a year. The pickling juice may be used 2 or 3 times over a year's time, simply add any unused rinds to the jar after sprinkling with salt.
• To use: Rinse with running water then remove & disregard the pulp (optional, my husband likes the pulp).

MOROCCAN-STYLE PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Blanch lemons in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each lemon into 8 wedges, discarding seeds. Toss lemons with kosher salt in a bowl, then pack lemons, along with their salt, tightly into jar.
• Add enough lemon juice to cover lemons. Seal jar and let lemons stand at room temperature, shaking gently once a day, for 5 days.
• Add oil to jar and refrigerate.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Pour oil into a 10-12" frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken and turn pieces often to brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.
• Lift out chicken and set aside.
• Remove all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pan.
• Add the onion, stir often over medium-high heat until tinged with brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in paprika, ginger, turmeric, and pepper.
• Add 1 cup water, chicken, olives, 6 preserved lemon quarters, and 1 tablespoon preserved lemon liquid.
• Cover pan and simmer, turning once, until meat is no longer pink at the bone (cut to test), about 20-25 minutes.
• Skim and discard fat.
• Transfer the chicken and sauce to a wide bowl.
• Garnish chicken with remaining lemon wedges and cilantro.
• NOTE: For less sodium, use ripe olives instead of calamatas.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMONS AND COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine all items for marinade: the lemon juice, honey, garlic. saffron, cumin, ginger, thyme, cinnamon, paprika, parsley and salt in a large glass or ceramic dish. Add the chicken and turn over so that it is thoroughly coated with the marinade. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours, preferably overnight, to develop the flavors (I prefer over night). Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Place the chicken and the preserved lemon in a roasting pan. Roast in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken and lemon to serving plate. Wipe the pan with paper towels to remove any fat, add the reserved marinade and 1/2 a cup of the stock and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces. Remove from the heat (this is the marinade mixture). Heat a small sauté pan over a medium heat, add the almonds and toast, stirring, for 2 minutes. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, add the onion and chilli and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until both have softened. Add the remaining stock, wine and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Add the couscous and stir to combine. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains. Add the marinade mixture, almonds and currants to the couscous, and cook, stirring, over a low heat for 2 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Carve the chicken across the grain into thick slices, spoon the couscous among the serving plates, sprinkle with coriander or cilantro, top with chicken and serve with baked preserved lemon slices.

MOROCCAN PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Wash lemons well.
• Be sure to have a jar big enough for the lemons to fit. Put a couple tablespoons of salt in the bottom of the jar.
• Holding over a plate to catch the juice, make four deep longitudinal cuts, evenly spaced, in each lemon. Keep ends attached.
• Or quarter the lemons keeping stem end intact.
• Pack salt liberally into cuts.
• Pack lemons into jar tightly, helping to press out some juice and sprinkling thin layer of salt over each layer of lemons. Top with final layer of salt.
• Add juice from the plate.
• Cover jar tightly and leave at room temperature for a few days, watching level of juice. Lemons should be covered in their own juice, if not, add more lemon juice.
• They'll be ready to eat in a few weeks and can keep for up to a year.