Preserved Lemon Gremolata

Brighten up any dish, marinade, or dressing with preserved lemons, parsley, olive oil, garlic, and spices in a zesty, delicious way!

This is one of those recipes that once you try it, you’ll wish you had been eating it your whole life. It’s Zesty, bright, light, and absolutely DELICIOUS! 

It’s one of my favorite things to add on grilled chicken, steak, and seafood, especially in the summer. It’s super light so when it’s hot out, you’re not feeling weighed down when you eat. Yet it’s packed with a full-on flavor bomb!

Lemons for days…

If you recall from prior posts, I have the “lemon tree that keeps on giving“.  Trust me, I’m not complaining at all as I love lemons but I will admit that I was starting to get a bit panicked because there were SO MANY LEMONS!

That’s when I decided to make a few jars of Preserved Lemons. The process is super simple and literally requires 2 ingredients.

…and about 3 weeks of patience. But it’s SO WORTH IT!

Let’s Make Gremolata

So this recipe only requires about 7 items:

• Fresh Flat-leaf Parsley
• Preserved Lemons
• Really good olive oil
• Minced Garlic
• Sea Salt
• Lemon Juice
• Red Pepper Flakes – *Optional but I love it!

Gremolata vs. Chimichurri

I have a loved Chimichurri recipe posted and you’ll see some differences. The most notable is the addition of vinegar.

Now classic gremolata is literally 3 ingredients – lemon zest, garlic, herbs. To me, that’s just too basic and not enough oomph. Every chef has their version and this is my favorite.

Chop it all up

This is one of those recipes where I would say don’t use a blender as you’re not making a vinaigrette but rather just take your time and chop it all really small.

So that means:

1. Finely chop the parsley, the preserved lemons, and the garlic.

Rinds or Flesh?

This is completely up to you, to be honest. If you follow my recipe for Preserved lemons, you can eat both the rind and flesh or just the rinds. I prefer using both as they are both edible and taste amazing.

2. To a bowl, add the chopped parsley. FYI.. your kitchen will smell AMAZING when you make this dish!

3. Next, add in the preserved lemons, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt.

4. Add in the fresh lemon juice and gently stir.

5. While stirring, slowly pour in the olive oil. You’re not emulsifying it but rather just blending it in.
6. Taste for seasoning (more salt or red pepper) and use.

Ways to Use Preserved Lemon Gremolata

• Chicken – Grill or saute up chicken and spoon this on right before serving for a light and bright chicken dish
• Beef – A grilled steak topped with melted butter and some of this really makes the dish sing!
• Seafood – Whether you bake, fry, or grill up fish, this spread out on top of the fish when it’s plated is amazing!
• Soup Topping – yes, on soup. If you have a creamy seafood bisque or tomato soup, a spoon or two of this on top is truly magical
• Lamb – just trust me on this. If you love lamb, add this (use half mint and half parsley in the recipe) with some horseradish
• Grains – whether it’s quinoa or polenta, this mixed with it is a total mouthwatering party!

How to Store Gremolata

So you have two options; fridge and freezer.

• Fridge – Place it in an air-tight container for up to a week
• Freezer – freeze as individual ice cubes and then just add to your dish later on

Substitutions

• Herbs – Mint, basil, oregano, thyme, or a mixture of fresh herbs
• Preserved Lemons – You can just use fresh lemon zest with some of the juice
• Oil – you can use other oils like chili oil, lemon oil, Greek oregano, avocado, etc
• Red Pepper Flakes – some people add it, some don’t. This is completely up to you. I like it in it.

Preserved Lemon Gremolata

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Brighten up any dish, marinade, or dressing with preserved lemons, parsley, olive oil, garlic, and spices in a zesty, delicious way!

• Author: TKWAdmin
• Prep Time: 10
• Total Time: 10
• Category: Dip, dressing, marinade, vinaigrette
• Method: no cook
• Cuisine: dip, dressing, marinade, vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped (~1 cup chopped)
• 1/4 cup preserved lemons finely chopped (flesh and rind or just rind)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (not kosher or table)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

1. Place the parsley, chopped preserved lemons, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and lemon juice into a bowl. Gently mix to combine.
2. While stirring with a spoon, drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. *Note: this is a thicker gremolata. If a thinner consistency is desired, add more olive oil.
3. Add to your favorite salad, seafood, grilled chicken, or beef dish. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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