What to do with preserved lemons besides make a tagine...

A couple of months ago I made a jar of preserved lemons for 2 reasons.

1. To see if I could do it.
2. To make a chicken tagine.

I did both (2 cross-offs on my wish list) fairly well considering I did not have access to spring lemons (which have a thinner skin making them ideal for preserving).

When someone tells you it's sooooo easy you tend to think there is a catch in there somewhere. Nothings that easy, at least about preserving.

But this was.... just lemon wedges covered in sea salt, placed tightly in a non-reactive container, left to sit in a dark, cool place for at least 4-6 weeks (depending on the thickness of the skins).

OK, now that I can attest it is THAT easy, what to do with the rest of the lemons??

I recently subscribed to David Lebovitz's blog and reading a recent post I scrolled down to the bottom where David includes related recipes that showcased Middle Eastern dishes and I stumbled on this recipe for Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemons.


Perfect....absolutely perfect. I was grilling three beautiful veal chops this weekend and this was the perfect side dish.

Grilled Veal Chops
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
* 6 8- to 10-ounce loin or rib veal chops, each about 1 inch thick

Topping
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Preparation
For veal:

Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Arrange veal chops in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour marinade over chops; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

For topping:

Stir together Italian parsley, lemon peel, rosemary, and garlic in small bowl to blend.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove chops from marinade and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill chops until cooked to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer chops to serving platter; sprinkle each with topping.



Very nicely grilled if I do say so. The couscous was perfect with these chops.