There’s no easier way to brighten the flavors of a dish than to add a squeeze of lemon juice or a dusting of finely grated zest. Here, our favorite savory uses for versatile citrus.
Roast chicken is a classic dish all over the world. In this beautiful version from Spain, the bird is rubbed with musky, floral saffron and stuffed with bright lemons and fresh rosemary before being popped in the oven. Get the recipe for Roast Chicken with Saffron and Lemon »
Fragrant orange flower water, called zhaar in Morocco and made from the blossoms of bergamot orange trees, perfumes this delicate salad, in which sweet citrus is offset by spicy radish. Get the recipe for Orange and Radish Salad »See the RecipeMaura McEvoy
These elegant appetizers come from Wolfgang Puck’s Los Angeles restaurant Spago. Laurie Ochoa wrote about the groundbreaking chef in “The King of LA,” part of our special Los Angeles issue (March 2010).
Garlic, lemon, and rosemary enhance simple, juicy roast chicken.
The recipe for this classic French dish is based on one in James Peterson’s Glorious French Food. Get the recipe for Duck a l’Orange »
Mojo-Marinated Pork Shoulder Roast (Pernil Asado Con Mojo)
Delicately spiced, tangy escabeche, a preparation typical of the Yucatan, makes a vibrant marinade and sauce for stewed chicken. The grapefruit, orange, and lime juices called for in this recipe approximate the flavor of the Yucatan’s sour oranges, which are difficult to get here.
Marinated in a crimson achiote and citrus juice marinade and served with pickled onions, this chicken dish is eaten all over the Yucatan. It gets an additional layer of flavor from the banana leaves that line the inside of the pot, but should you opt not to use them, the result will still be delicious.
Similar to tortilla soup, this version is sour from lots of whole limes in the broth and garnish; roasted habañero chiles add smokey heat to this bright soup. Get the recipe for Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima) »
Tagine, the Moroccan stew, shares its name with the terra-cotta pot it’s traditionally cooked in, whose neat conical lid promotes convection and even cooking. There are many versions; maybe the most classic is braised chicken, green olives, and lemons in a sauce fragrant with ginger and coriander.
Avgolemono, a simple Mediterranean soup of eggs, lemons, and chicken broth, is the Mediterranean equivalent of chicken noodle soup. Get the recipe for Avgolemono »
This three-part technique starts with a stove-top sear to render fat followed by a stint in the oven for a steam in a flavorful broth. A final roast results in juicy meat and crisp skin. Get the recipe for Roast Duck with Mandarin Orange Sauce »
