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If ever an ingredient was worthy of praise, it's the lemon. Fill your kitchen with the best you can find. In your quest for great zest, seek lemons that are plump and heavy for their size. Bright yellow fruits with glossy, fine-grained skin are the juiciest.
pucker up
It's time to fall in love (again) with the lemon. Sure, you may have one or more on hand, but it's probably been awhile since you reviewed its sassy attributes. As suitable for sweet foods as it is for savory, and as powerful in small squirts as it is by the cupful, this citrus is certainly worth celebrating. Consider, too, its peel. The smallest amount, zested, offers a complex floral note-which you can also enjoy candied if you prefer the peel in a sweeter form. Even the seeds, boiled in cheesecloth, can add essential flavor for marmalades. And, of course, the juice is as welcome in summer (think: lemonade) as it is in winter, and is as palatable as the dominant flavor in a main dish, such as a roast chicken, as it is as an accent in baking. Now, while spring still hangs in the balance, is a wonderful time to take advantage of the bright notes of the lemon. Its sunny fragrance and piquant flavor are sure to alert the senses and awaken your palate. Squeeze lemon over fresh greens, stir segments into a caper-and-butter sauce for sautéed trout, or create a classic, such as lemon meringue pie. Meyer lemons, a cross between a lemon and an orange or mandarin, are smaller and sweeter than everyday lemons. Use them when the tangy acidity is not so crucial, such as for a lemon tart or soufflé. Then try something new: Add lemons with Moroccan spices to potatoes and sausage. Prepared this way, the lemons emerge slightly sweet and fruity. So, get reacquainted with the lemon. Breathe in the floral aroma of its zest, rich in essential oils, and thrill at its juice, which veritably bursts forth with abandon. After all, whether you add a little or a lot, lemon changes everything.
A lemon inserted into the chicken's cavity during roasting keeps the meat moist and juicy. Seasoning the skin with zest imparts flavor, and salt makes...