I’m a chef who would rather (gently) squeeze tomatoes at the farmers’ market than do nearly anything else — good thing, because the Euro-sizefridgein my flat in London requires near-daily grocery trips. But while stocking those two tiny shelves is always a joy, whittling down my condiment collection to make room for fresh produce has become a painful exercise in choosing a favorite child.
One item I’ll never get rid of, though, is New York Shuk’sPreserved Lemon Paste.In May, when a friend told me about the PLP, I was curious but notthatcurious — preserved (salt-cured) lemons usually come whole, and I’ve never made my way through a jar fast enough to allow it to muscle out a single member of mychile-crispcollection. (Although I do love the acid, salt, and funky umami fizz preserved lemon adds.) But after I registered the wordpaste,the PLP quickly earned a spot in the fridge.Finely dicing a whole lemon to add to, say,salsa verdeis nice in theory, but so is taking a break from dicing on my days off. This lemon, thankfully, doesn’t need to be cut at all — in fact, the creators wanted to make a more intuitive version, so they blended two to three plump citrus fruits into each jar.
Pasteis a bit of a misnomer. Instead of being creamy, its texture is soupy, which means it melts into a sauce or vinaigrette without any concertedwhisking.It’s super-potent too: I tend to start with a tablespoon or so and go from there. I’m still scarred from the $22 jar ofpistachio creamI went through in two weeks, so I’ve been thrilled that my $16 PLP has lasted all summer despite constant use.
When it’s hot out (which is every day), I drop a spoonful into ashakerfull of ice, then empty a can of sparkling water over the top for a salted-lemonade spritz. Another spoonful of PLP mixed in mywater bottlepre-run is possibly the best version of lemon-lime-flavored Gatorade. In the evening, I stir whatever leftoverherbsI have — cilantro, mint, shiso, basil — together with some PLP and pour in a thumb of gin.
Somehow, drinking it in every form hasn’t dissuaded me from cooking with it. When combined with full-fat yogurt, the preserved lemon’s brightness balances smokygrilledzucchini; brushed over a fat-capped pork chop, PLP cuts through the richness of the meat. And it works just as well in sweets — I whooshed a tablespoon through the batter of thiseasy olive-oil caketo impart a ton of flavor without messing with the alchemy of baking. And taking inspiration from pastry chefRose Wilde,I stirred some through a simple yogurt-moussecake frostingand into a finished crème anglaise before drizzling it over summer strawberries. But when friends come over and it’s too hot to cook, let alone bake, I’ve taken to swirling preserved-lemon paste through just-melty vanillaice creamand sprinkling over some crushed pistachios.
Some other spreads and sauces we’ve written about
The Strategistis designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the bestacne treatments,rolling luggage,pillows for side sleepers,natural anxiety remedies,andbath towels.We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
