LEMONS AND LIMES - Cico Books

The crisp, burst of lemon or lime is an essential element to so many classic recipes. A squeeze of lemon can bring a dull sauce or lacklustre soup to life as its tartness cuts through and brings out flavour in a subtler (and healthier) way than salt. Smaller, sharper but more intensely fragrant than lemons, limes work with exotic, spicy flavours.

Some dishes call for the sharp, clear lift of lemon, at other times the richer fragance of lime is more appropriate. They are both perfect as an antidote to the heat of chilli or pungent garlic, the best friend of herbs and olive oil, roasting meat and freshly grilled seafood. Their brightness is also perfect in sweet, buttery desserts.

Try _Small Bites such as Lemon, Mushroom and Tarragon Arancini or Salmon and Kaffir Lime Fishcakes. Make amazing Soups and Salads with a Courgette and Lemon Summer Grain Salad or Pork Dumplings in Lime-leaf Broth. Poultry, Meat and Fish is full of hearty yet summery dishes that will feed all the family, from Lamb, Bocconcini and Lemon Skewers to Spiced Roasted Chicken with Chickpeas, Carrots and Preserved Lemon to a Grilled Lemon Seabass with Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Butter.

In Rice and Pasta dishes is a delicate Spaghettini with Calamari, Rosemary and Lemon or a Spicy Lime Kedgeree. Lastly try a Gin and Tonic Cake with lemon syrup and candied zest or a refreshing Mint and Lime Granita. Insightful essay spreads are also included on the history and culture around cooking with lemons and limes, the various types and ways of preparing them and their wonderful health benefits.