Preserved lemons give a wonderful aromatic strong lemony flavour to just about anything.

They are simple to make and will keep in the fridge for six months

To prepare
Cut 6 lemons in quarters with a sharp knife, leaving them 1cm attached at the stem end. Place 1 tablespoon of sea-salt flakes in a large sterilised glass jar. Place 1 tablespoon of sea-salt into each lemon and reform into its original shape. Pack lemons tightly into the jar, adding a couple of dry or fresh bay leaves, a couple of cinnamon sticks and a few peppercorns. Pour in lemon juice of about 3-4 lemons to cover. Seal and store in a cool dry place (not the fridge) for one month before using.

To use
Scrape the flesh from the skin, discard the flesh and either cut the skin into thin strips or finely chop.


Roasted pepper and preserved lemon salad

Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves 4

You'll need
Olive oil
4 yellow banana peppers, halved, seeds removed
4 red banana peppers, halved, seeds removed
2 pieces of preserved lemon
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely chopped

Dressing
l/4 cup olive oil
l/3 cup red wine-vinegar
l/2 tsp paprika
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
l/4 tsp chilli powder

1 Lightly oil skin side of peppers and place skin side down on hot char grill. Cook until they start to blacken and blister in places. Remove to a medium-sized bowl.

2 Scrape flesh from skin of preserved lemons and cut skin into strips. Add onion,cucumber and finely sliced lemon skins to peppers.

3 To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour over salad ingredients and stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: Red and yellow banana peppers are thick-fleshed, sweet and similar in flavour to capsicums. You can also use capsicums for this recipe.

Source:Better Homes and Gardens March 2004