Kumquat Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I'm a fan of the marmalade.  Citrusy, not too sweet and has a nice bite.  This marmalade recipe is stupid easy...if you can boil water you can make this recipe.

Sure its great on toast...but you can take a quarter cup, mix with a couple of Tablespoons soy sauce, ginger and garlic and you have an awesome glaze for salmon steaks...but that is another recipe for another day.

I tried this recipe with traditional lemons from the grocery store and the lemon overtook the kumquat.  Seek out Meyer Lemons for their softer more floral taste for a better balance of flavors in your final product.

Kumquat Meyer Lemon Marmalade

• 2 large Meyer Lemons
• 1 lb ripe kumquats
• 5 1/2 C water
• 2 c sugar
• pinch of salt (scant 1/8 t)
• 1 packet Certo sure-jell liquid pectin

Wash and clean all of your fruit.  

Slice lemon on the horizontal end-to-end axis. Thinly slice lemon about 1/8" with a very sharp knife.  Discard seeds as you encounter them.  Repeat with the remaining lemon.  Add lemon slices to a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Simmer until the white pith is translucent, about 5-10 minutes.  Strain and return cooked lemon to sauce pan.

While the lemons simmer thinly slice the kumquats about 1/8" thick.  Set aside while the lemon cooks. When lemon is done, add the sliced kumquats, pinch of salt and 5 1/2 cups water to the sauce pan.  Bring to boil.  When at a full rolling boil turn off heat and cover.  Let stand 24 hours.

At end of 24 hours add sugar and insert a candy thermometer into the fruit mixture.  Turn heat to medium-high and stir gently to dissolve sugar but not break up fruit too much.  Bring to boil, cook until candy thermometer reaches 220F.  Remove from heat.  Stir in liquid pectin, Ladle hot marmalade into hot sterilized pint jars (makes about 2 pints).   

Let cool and set at room temperature.  Store in cool dark place or fridge.  Definitely refrigerate after opening.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts

With a Meyer Lemon tree in the back yard this time of year I'm blessed with ample lemons and am always looking for ways to use them all.  Step in this Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast.

A couple of things to keep in mind with high acid marinades like this...keep the time short enough to impart flavor but not so long as to "cook" the protein and changes its texture.  Really an hour max is all you need.

Stripping Thyme of its leaves is a lot easier than you think.  Grasp the top of the stem firmly and slide your fingers towards the base with light pressure and the leaves are off and the woody stem can be discarded.  I also do this after handling the raw garlic as it helps kill the smell of the garlic on your fingers.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breasts

• 4 chicken breasts - I use skinless/boneless
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 lemons sliced thing
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 T fresh Thyme leaves
• 1/3 c olive oil
• fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 t kosher salt

To make marinade combine zest, lemon juice, thyme leaves, garlic, olive oil salt and pepper in a small blender jar or mini-food prep and pulse a few times until garlic is finely chopped.

In non-reactive bowl...stainless steel or glass, add chicken breasts.  Pour over marinade and toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate 30-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Convect bake if you have it.  Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Place breasts on the lined baking sheets.  Pour marinade over the chicken.  Top with reserved slices of 2 lemons.  Bake 30-35 minutes until cooked through.  Serve hot over parslied rice.

Lemon Souffle'

I'm beginning to wonder what all the fuss about is with making Souffle'.  This version doesn't have a starch to bind and it still puffed up wonderfully.  Yes, it fell a bit after while cooling but it was still a wonderful puff of marshmallowy lemony goodness.

I cheated here and used a good store bought lemon curd.  Dundee brand if you can find it is the most amazing lemon pucker I've found yet.  Yes, you can fuss and make it at home, but why for the love of gawd when you can get good store bought would you do it?

I use Meyer Lemons, the virtues of which I've extolled in the past.  Suffice it to say its milder with a better flavor than the traditional lemons found in the groc at the corner.  Worth tracking down March-May when they are in season.

Tip: Zest lemon then juice it.  You will never zest a lemon that has been juiced first.

Lemon Souffle'

• Good quality Lemon Curd
• 1 large lemon - zested and juiced
• 3 eggs, separated
• 5 T superfine sugar
• pinch salt
• 1/4 t cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350F

In a 10-12 oz ramekin spoon in 2 heaping tablespoons lemon curd, smooth and level in bottom of ramekin.

Whip egg whites and cream of tartar in copper bowl until soft peaks form.  Sprinkle over 1T superfine sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

Combine egg yolks, sugar, salt, zest and juice.  Whisk until frothy and sugar is dissolved.  Stir in 1/4 of the whipped egg whites to lighten the yolks.  Pour yolk mixture into the egg whites and fold gently until well incorporated and few white streaks remain.

Place ramekins on baking sheet.  Divide souffle' batter evenly between the 3 ramekins.  Bake 17-18 minutes until puffed and golden brown on top.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve.

Lemon Coconut Cake

This is the end result of a whim and a brain storm.  Getting together with my cousins tonight for wine and cheese and  Paul suggested something lemon, lemon cake. First thought was hmmm...lemon pound cake, but then I remembered he and my wife adore the lemon cake at Cafe Opera here in town.  I knew I had a germ of an idea.

Of course I use Meyer lemons.  They have a sweeter, less harsh juice and zest than the ponderosa's that are available pretty much all year round in stores.  Seek out the Meyer Lemons as they are in season now and really make the difference in the final product.  Honestly, I won't use the regular groc lemon and get mine off the tree in my yard.  Its my California trip....fresh home grown citrus, indulge me.

To execute you must have a good micro plane grater.  It does a superb job of removing zest and leaving the bitter pith behind.  It also has it in small enough flecks that its not obnoxious in the final dish.

There are 4 simple steps in making this cake.  Lemon cake, Lemon curd, candied lemon slices and Lemon frosting, in that order.

Lemon Coconut Cake

cake

1 stick butter room temperature

1 c sugar

2 T sugar

1/4 t cream of tartar

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 salt

4 room temperature eggs - separated

1 lemon zested then juiced

2 C flour

1/3 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325F  Grease and flour 2 9inch cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom.

Cream together 1 c sugar with butter.  Add eggs one at time.  Beat until well blended.  Add lemon juice and zest.  Beat in well.  Add flour and buttermilk and beat well.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar on low until frothy.  Increase speed and beat on high slowly sprinkling on 2 T of sugar until stiff peaks form.

Take one quarter of the egg whites and stir into the yolk mixture to lighten in it.  Pour lightened yolks into the bowl with remaining whites and fold in until well incorporated.  Don't  over fold as you will deflate eggs.

Bake 23-27 minutes in center of oven until baked through and tester comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks 10 minutes.  Then remove from pan, pealing off parchment paper and cool completely on the racks.

Lemon Curd

8 egg yolks

1 1/2 c sugar

1/4 c butter 

3 lemons, zested and juiced

Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don't let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Float a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the curd so it doesn't form a skin while cooling.

Lemon slice garnish
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1 lemon sliced, seeds and ends discarded.
Slice lemons into 1/4 inch thick slices.  In a non-reactive sauce pan mix sugar and water and bring to boil over medium heat.  Add lemon slices and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 1 hour.  Sprinkle some sugar on a plate.  Gently remove lemon slices with a slotted spoon and set onto sugar.  Cool to room temp.

Lemon Frosting
3 c powdered sugar
3 T softened butter
1 lemon juiced and zested
1/2 t vanilla
1 heaping cup sweetened shredded coconut
yellow food coloring - optional

Cream together sugar, butter and lemon juice.  Add vanilla and zest.  Thin with water if needed to get to spreading consistency.  Beat in a couple of drops of food coloring if using.  

To assemble.  On a cake plate put a dab of frosting in center to hold cake in place.  Split first layer in half horizontally.  Place bottom of cake onto the cake plate.  Spread with 1/3 of the lemon curd.  Place top of the layer onto the cake. Spread on 1/3 of the lemon curd. 
Split the last layer in half horizontally.  Place bottom on top of the cake on the cake plate.  Spread on remaining 1/3 of lemon curd.  Place top of layer onto the cake.

Frost with Lemon Frosting.  Sprinkle and lightly press the coconut into the frosted cake.  Garnish top of cake with the candied lemon slices.

Simmer Lemon slices over low heat to candy them, take care to not turn it to caramel.

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

Whew...its lemon season around here.  More precisely meyer lemons from a very VERY prolific little tree.  After the limoncello making and lemon bars what else is there to do with them?  Meyer Lemon Sorbet.

Why did I plant Meyer Lemon instead of the more garden variety Ponderosa or similar?  Primarily tis about taste.  The Meyer Lemon is softer and has a mild floral taste to it compared to the regular lemons you find in the groc.  Certainly well worth hunting down if you don't have a Meyer Lemon tree.

Sorbets are wonderfully easy, simple syrup, juice and zest and into an ice cream maker and voila its sorbet.  Stupid easy and a lot lighter than say ice cream that is full of well, cream and eggs.

Do remember it is easier to juice a zested lemon than trying to zest a lemon that is all limp and malformed as a result of being juiced.

Meyer Lemon Sorbet

• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 1/2 c meyer lemon juice
• 1 1/2 T meyer lemon zest

Combine water and sugar in small sauce pan.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Boil a minute or two to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved.  Cool to room temperature.

Add the cooled syrup to the juice and lemon zest.  Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours to chill well (overnight is ideal).  Add to your ice cream maker and mix according to your manufacturers directions.  My machine is a Cuisinart and it takes about 20 minutes to creat a slushy Sorbet.  Serve right out of the ice cream maker, or spoon into a freezer container and freeze solid if you like a firmer sorbet.

Cocktail du jour - the Sidecar Martini

Ah...I love a good classic cocktail.  The Sidecar Martini fits the bill for me.  Just the right blend of sweet and sour and oomph.
I use Korbel brandy, my brandy of choice for something like 23 years every since I toured their facility on our honey moon back in the day.  Its a pretty marvey moderately priced brandy that is smooth as silk.
I use the real deal Cointreau for the orange liqueur.  It too is perfectly smooth and orangey with no funky aftertaste that the lesser brands will leave you with.  Worth the splurge, plus it makes for the perfect Margarita. Stick with the best when making classic cocktails.
I use Meyer Lemons for the juice...mainly because I have a tree that creates quite the booty this time of year, but have used lesser Ponderosa that you usually find in the grocs to equal success.  Just don't buy those from concentrate plastic squeeze bottles.  Fresh is best.
This recipe makes a small pitcher enough for 4 Sidecars.

Sidecar Martini

• 1 Cup Korbel Brandy
• 1/2 C Cointreau
• 1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon Juice
• lemon peel and maraschino cherry for garnish
• sugar

Combine liquors and lemon juice and stir well.  Chill before serving.
Using vegetable peeler peel a strip of zest from lemon.  Skewer peel strip with cherry.  Cut lemon.  Rub lemon half on rim of glass and dip in sugar to coat.  Pour in chilled Sidecar mix.  Serve and enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi

This is a family favorite...at least among the shrimp eaters among us.  Just the right amount of sweet, heat and tart from the lemon.  Lemon you say?  Yup...I'm blessed or cursed with a nice sized Meyer Lemon tree that leaves me with quite the bounty that must be used in the spring.  Cooking with lemons adds a brightness to dishes that I really like.  Meyer lemons have an interesting almost floral note to their juice that really adds an extra dimension of flavor to the dish that a regular lemon can't.  If you can't find a Meyer lemon by all means substitute with a regular lemon.

One caveat with this dish.  It cooks up fast and you don't want to overcook the shrimp so timing is everything. I start the sauce when I toss in the Angel Hair Pasta which takes all of 5 minutes to cook.  IF you are using bigger pasta such as a linguine set your timer to start the sauce the last 5 minutes of the cooking time.

It is really important to salt your pasta water to the same degree as sea water.  That means about a tablespoon of salt (I use kosher salt as it has less of a metallic taste) for the couple of quarts of water used to make the pasta.  It is the only way you'll get the pasta seasoned properly.

I buy the shrimp with their shell still on as they tend to stay fresher that way longer.  I save the shells and tails to make Shrimp Stock for other dishes like my Shrimp Chowder.

Before draining your pasta scoop out some of the starchy pasta water.  That little bit of starch will go a long way towards making the silky smooth sauce that will coat the pasta.

Shrimp Scampi

• 2 Lbs peeled and de-veined shrimp
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 T parsley minced
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup pasta water.
• 12 ounces Angel Hair Pasta

Put water on to boil.  Add salt.  Add pasta and set time to cook to al dente.


Over medium high heat melt butter.  Sautee garlic and red pepper flake 1 minute being careful to stir constantly so as to not burn garlic. Add juice and zest of lemon.  Add white wine.  Bring to simmer and then add shrimp.  Stir the shrimp to ensure all cook evenly, about 3-4 minutes.  When pasta is done scoop out 1/2 c pasta water and add to the shrimp.


Drain the pasta.  Add Pasta and parsley to the shrimp and stir to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce.