Have you ever heard of pink tiger lemons? I have only been acquainted with this delicious citrus fruit for the past two weeks. As we came back from grocery shopping and I was unpacking, I was baffled to find those weird stripy lemons in one of the bags. It turns out E. was about to buy lemons and spotted those. He was intrigued so he added them to our basket. It was a really good choice!
It was quite warm that day and we quickly opted for a refreshing gin and tonic so we could try the fruit. A squeeze of juice and a slice of that new-to-us tiger lemon turned out to be a truly wonderful addition to our cocktail.
The flesh of the lemon is pink (some were a bit less pink but I believe it is pinkier when the fruit is nicely ripe). Its flavour is different from a regular lemon. I place it somewhere between lime and grapefruit, a little mix of both without as much bitterness and less acidic.
My first reaction was to think about recipes where I could use it. There are plenty of course but the one that came to mind immediately (probably because I really wanted some) was madeleines. I quickly whipped up a batch and waited for the batter to rest (the patience game is essential here for the well being and rising of the madeleines). The aroma of them baking in the oven was great. After taking them out, I managed to let them rest a bit and quickly grabbed one for a taste. The flavour of the pink tiger lemon was perfect for this delicate little French cake. A delicious combination if I may say.
I spotted more of the pink tiger lemons in the shop where we got them. I am already dreaming of tiger lemon tartlets or curd (just imagine it spread on a nice slice of rum pound cake!).
Have you ever tried this unusual citrus fruit? If so, did you use it in recipes or just added to cocktails?
The flesh of the lemon is pink (some were a bit less pink but I believe it is pinkier when the fruit is nicely ripe). Its flavour is different from a regular lemon. I place it somewhere between lime and grapefruit, a little mix of both without as much bitterness and less acidic.
My first reaction was to think about recipes where I could use it. There are plenty of course but the one that came to mind immediately (probably because I really wanted some) was madeleines. I quickly whipped up a batch and waited for the batter to rest (the patience game is essential here for the well being and rising of the madeleines). The aroma of them baking in the oven was great. After taking them out, I managed to let them rest a bit and quickly grabbed one for a taste. The flavour of the pink tiger lemon was perfect for this delicate little French cake. A delicious combination if I may say.
I spotted more of the pink tiger lemons in the shop where we got them. I am already dreaming of tiger lemon tartlets or curd (just imagine it spread on a nice slice of rum pound cake!).
Have you ever tried this unusual citrus fruit? If so, did you use it in recipes or just added to cocktails?
Pink Tiger Lemon Madeleines Recipe
Ingredients (make approximately 30 madeleines)
125g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
juice of 1 pink tiger lemon*
zest of 1/2 pink tiger lemon*
3 large free range eggs
150g sifted plain flour
1 teaspoon sifted baking powder
125g melted unsalted butter (melt it on a really low heat, do not allow it to get hot) (plus extra for the moulds)
1. Put the sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest and the eggs in a baking bowl. Whisk together until the mixture is fluffy and pale.
2. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder. Then add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours before use (overnight is even better).
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease the madeleine moulds with butter. Fill the moulds two-thirds full with the batter (I use a pastry bag to make this easier). Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the madeleines have risen (you might need to bake your madeleines in 2 or 3 batches if like me you only have a limited amount of moulds). Delicately transfer them onto a wire rack or plate and cool down for a couple of minutes before eating them warm.
Notes:
* I understand this type of lemon might not be easy to find just anywhere. Alternatively just use a regular lemon or a mix of half lime/half grapefruit (match the equivalent in terms of the amount of lemon juice and zest in the recipe - the juice of a whole grapefruit would be way too much).
Bon appétit!
Ingredients (make approximately 30 madeleines)
125g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
juice of 1 pink tiger lemon*
zest of 1/2 pink tiger lemon*
3 large free range eggs
150g sifted plain flour
1 teaspoon sifted baking powder
125g melted unsalted butter (melt it on a really low heat, do not allow it to get hot) (plus extra for the moulds)
1. Put the sugar, salt, lemon juice and zest and the eggs in a baking bowl. Whisk together until the mixture is fluffy and pale.
2. Stir in the sifted flour and baking powder. Then add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours before use (overnight is even better).
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease the madeleine moulds with butter. Fill the moulds two-thirds full with the batter (I use a pastry bag to make this easier). Place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the madeleines have risen (you might need to bake your madeleines in 2 or 3 batches if like me you only have a limited amount of moulds). Delicately transfer them onto a wire rack or plate and cool down for a couple of minutes before eating them warm.
Notes:
* I understand this type of lemon might not be easy to find just anywhere. Alternatively just use a regular lemon or a mix of half lime/half grapefruit (match the equivalent in terms of the amount of lemon juice and zest in the recipe - the juice of a whole grapefruit would be way too much).
Bon appétit!
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