Preserved lemon

Utilizing Preserved Salted Beldi Lemon

Beldi lemons are essential in your oriental cuisine, in tagines, to flavor hummus, or even pastries! At Terre Exotique, we particularly enjoy these preserved salted lemons in a chicken with olives and Beldi lemons.

How to Use Preserved Salted Beldi Lemon?

Here are some recipe ideas to use preserved salted Beldi lemon in your cuisine:

• Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Beldi Lemons: marinate the flesh of a Beldi lemon (see the complete recipe below);
• Chickpea Salad with Beldi Lemons and Feta: finely dice 1/4 of a preserved lemon and add it to chickpeas and feta;
• Grilled Salmon with Beldi Lemons: marinate your salmon fillets with the quarters of a preserved lemon and olive oil. During cooking, place the lemon quarters under the salmon fillets;
• Creamy Red Lentil Soup with Preserved Beldi Lemons: add 1/4 of a diced Beldi lemon to your pot before blending everything;
• Veal with Carrots and Preserved Beldi Lemons: once your ingredients are cooked separately, place them all in a pot and add 1/4 of a diced Beldi lemon, then let it simmer for 30 minutes.

Recipe for Chicken with Olives and Preserved Beldi Lemons

• Ingredients
• - 5 large pieces of chicken;
• - 1 garlic clove;
• - 1 onion;
• - 15 green olives;
• - 3 tablespoons of olive oil;
• - 1 teaspoon of Terre Exotique crushed black Kampot pepper;
• - 1 teaspoon of Terre Exotique ginger powder;
• - 1 Terre Exotique Beldi lemon.

Instructions:

Firstly, grate the onion and garlic clove and set aside. In a bowl, scoop out the flesh of the Beldi lemon and add the chicken, onion, and garlic. In the same bowl, add the pepper and ginger, then mix.

In a casserole dish, heat the oil and add the chicken, browning it for about ten minutes. Add a glass of water and cover for 30 minutes. Then, add the olives and the rest of the diced Beldi lemon, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Serve this dish with couscous or steamed potatoes.

Aromas of Preserved Salted Beldi Lemon

The Beldi lemon is larger and more fragrant than the traditional lemon. It is also more flavorful; indeed, notes of flowers and bergamot emanate from this Moroccan variety. Delicate and subtle, the Beldi lemon is full of flavor.

Moroccan Lemon

How Does Beldi Lemon Grow?

Beldi lemon, scientifically known as Citrus limetta, comes from the Rutaceae family. Specifically grown in Morocco, Beldi lemon (or Beldis) mainly develops in the region of Taroudant. Also called Marrakech limonette, these lemons, when ripe, have a more orange hue than traditional lemons and are also rounder. The tree that produces these exceptional lemons is not very frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures as low as -4 degrees only.

Origins of Beldi Lemon

Originally from China and India, the lemon has existed for over 3000 years. Beldi lemon is actually a cross between lemon and bergamot, made in Morocco. To preserve lemons longer, in Marrakech, they were pickled in salt or brine. In the 1st and 3rd centuries, the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs discovered lemons, which were used for their medicinal and therapeutic properties. In the 9th century, this fruit spread to Tunisia, Spain, and then to the south of France. King Louis XIV had them planted in Versailles to enjoy the taste and benefits of these fruits.