Lemon Recipes

There are hundreds and hundreds of recipes that list the lemon as one of the ingredients.

Below are a few of my favourite recipes using the humble lemon. I'll add more when I can so keep checking back. If you would like to me to feature your own favourite lemon recipe please email me at ray@goodlifeletter.co.uk and put Lemon Recipe in the title.

PORK ESCALOPES WITH LEMON SAUCE

What you need:

(for the pork)

4 pieces of pork loin 2.5 oz each
100g fresh breadcrumbs
2 unwaxed lemons (you only need the zest - so you can use the rest to
polish the windows while you cook! Only joking...)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and black pepper
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
50g plain flour
100ml milk
2 free-range eggs

(for the sauce)

100g butter
Olive oil
2 lemons, juice only
125ml white wine

How to prepare:
Cut off any excess fat from the meat, then wrap the slices in clingfilm
and bash them out until they're about 5mm thin.

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl, and grate the lemon zest into the
bowl with the breadcrumbs (keep the lemons for the sauce).

Add the chopped rosemary to the bowl with the breadcrumbs and
lemon zest. Add the salt and pepper... a large pinch from each should
do it.

Place the flour in another bowl.

Mix the milk and eggs together in a bowl.

Pat one of the pork escalopes in the flour, then dip it in the egg mixture,
then coat in the breadcrumbs. Dip and coat the pork a second time, so
that it's really well covered in crumbs. Put on a plate and do the same
with the rest.

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt half the butter
with a splash of olive oil.

When the butter is foaming, add the escalopes and fry them until
golden-brown on each side.

When they're cooked through, remove from the pan, drain on kitchen
paper and keep warm.

To make the sauce, add the rest of the butter to the pan with the juice
of the lemons and the wine. Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce by
half.

Serve the pork escalopes with the lemon and butter sauce artistically
poured over it (or half on the plate, half on the kitchen counter...
something I manage to do just about every time).

LEMON CHICKEN

What you need:

(For the chicken)

Chicken thighs or breast fillets
1/4 cup corn flour
3tbs water
4 egg yolks
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

(For the sauce)
3tbs flour or rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups water
Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
Chicken stock
2tsp soy sauce
1tsp grated ginger
Salt & pepper
2tsp dry sherry or red wine

How to prepare:

First off, remove the skin from the chicken. Yes, I KNOW it's tasty, but
I'm doffing my cap to healthy eating here, and chicken skin has more
downsides than upsides, so get rid of it.

Cut the skinless chicken into thick diagonal slices.

Put the flour into a bowl and mix with the water and the lightly beaten
egg yolks. Add salt and pepper and give it another stir.

Heat up oil in the frying pan.

Dip the chicken into this mixture, let any excess drip back into the
bowl, then slap the chicken strips in the frying pan.

Turn and cook until golden brown, then place the strips on some
kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.

Now for the sauce...

Put the flour and sugar in a saucepan, gradually add water and lemon
juice, stirring until combined, then stir until sauce boils and thickens.

Add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, salt, pepper and sherry (or red
wine if you've got any left after taking "chef's privileges" and having a
glass or two while cooking!), reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
And that's it - just pour the sauce over the chicken, serve with leeks or
broccoli and some boiled potatoes, and eat!

OLD-FASHIONED REAL LEMONADE

What you need:
Juice of 6 lemons (1 cup)
3/4 cup sugar or to taste
4 cups cold water
1 lemon, sliced
Ice cubes

How to prepare:
In a large pitcher, combine lemon juice and sugar; stir to dissolve sugar.
Add water, lemon slices, and ice cubes; stir until well blended. Serve in
tall glasses over ice.

Honestly, that's it. This is REAL lemonade, not that hideous gassy stuff
packed with E-horrors and fake sweeteners. Try this and see which you
prefer.

LEMON BARLEY WATER

Ahhhh... lemon barley. It's childhood summers and Wimbledon all rolled into one. (Remember those TV ads...?). It's also incredibly good for you - the barley can help ease urinary and circulatory problems.

The recipe below makes a large jugful.

125g pot barley
2 lemons
50g brown sugar
1.2L water

Wash the barley and put it in your jug along with the lemon rind and
sugar. Boil the water and pour over the mixture. When the mixture is
cool add the juice of the lemons, strain and then serve

Scroll down for more Lemon Recipes

Ray's Lemon Dressing recipe

I absolutely love concocting my own dressings. The key is to experiment with different amounts of oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Add your own extras like herbs, honey and mustard.

Here's my favourite lemon dressing. Feel free to adapt it however you like:

  • Take two tablespoons of lemon juice.
  • Add 6 tablespoons (or a quarter of a cup) of quality olive oil
  • A tablespoon of chopped parsley
  • A teaspoon of mustard.
  • An optional blob of honey
  • Season with Salt and Pepper

Put t the mix into a jar, close the lid and give it a shake. Hey presto. Add this to your salad right at the last minute before you serve. Make sure all the leaves of your salad are coated in this summary flavouring.

Sea Bass with Lemon

Here's another one of my favourites. This is my adaptation of a recipe from a classic Italian cookbook called Silver Spoon.

  • Ask for whole sea bass from your fishmonger. Make sure they gut and scale the fish for you. But leave the skin and head on.
  • Cut three slashes in each side of each fish, taking care not to go right through to the bone.
  • Push little sprigs of rosemary into the slashes, and another one in the belly cavity.
  • Place a clove of garlic and the belly of each fish.
  • Rub the fish all over with olive oil
  • Slice some onion and lay some thin slices over the top of the fish.
  • Sprinkle chopped parsley, chopped spring onion over the top.
  • Add a slice of lemon to the top of each fish
  • Wrap each fish in foil and seal. Cook for about 30 minutes in an oven at 200 degrees.
  • Before you serve, squeeze lemon juice over both fish.

Serve this dish with salad and new potatoes.

To order your copy of The Lemon Book simply click here