Roasted Lemon Chutney
A beautiful roasted lemon chutney from Molly Steven's book, All About Roasting.
Whatever I share today needs to somehow circle back to the roasted lemon chutney I've been slathering on everything this week. I made it from a gem of a recipe tucked deep in the back of this book. The book was part of the stack of magazines, novels, and cookbooks I brought to read last weekend when we popped up California’s Highway 1 for a couple nights on the Mendocino coast.
Roasted Lemon Chutney: The Inspiration
In the mornings, I'd sit in our little cottage, coffee in hand, and read with the front door open. Top of my pile was Molly's new book - All About Roasting. Molly is a friend, and this follow-up to her much-loved All About Braising, was eagerly anticipated by yours truly (and many of you, I'm sure). Her Roasted Apple Sauce jumped out at me immediately, and I was all set to make it once I was back home.
Now, I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but I kept glancing at the Roasted Lemon Chutney recipe, which lives a few pages back from the applesauce - and here we are. Back home, no applesauce, chutney instead, no regrets whatsoever.
How To Make Roasted Lemon Chutney
Making this chutney is quite straight-forward. You roast thin, olive oil-brushed lemon slices until they’re tender and browning. You transfer the roasted lemons to a food processor along with some shallots and olive oil. Season and finish with some fresh herbs - you're good to go.
Roasted Lemon Chutney: So Many Ways
There are so many ways to use this mildly puckery magic. I slathered the chutney on thick slabs of toasted bread with a good amount of whipped goat cheese - that's what you see in most of these photos. But really, there are so many other things you can do with it.
A couple more ideas: a dollop stirred into brown rice, chopped sautéed spinach, topped with a fried/poached egg and a touch of soy sauce. Or, incorporated into a bowl of hot pasta. Or, inside a savory crepe. Or, tossed with hot roasted potatoes, or baked potatoes, or mashed potatoes, or homemade gnocchi. You get the idea. It's super versatile, and I hope you like it as much as I did.
Here are a few other pics from our weekend away, below. The drive was pretty wild. We decided to cut over to the coast on a different road than usual. Wow - one of those decisions I'm glad we made, but probably won't repeat. Not quite dirt roads, but close!
More Lemon Recipes
- Shaker Lemon Pie
- Glazed Lemon Cake
- Meyer Lemon Focaccia
- Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- All lemon recipes
Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
-Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
-Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year
Roasted Lemon Chutney
Molly notes that because you use whole lemons here, you're going to want to wash them first in warm soapy water to remove any waxy reside. Organic lemons usually don't have that, so (for that reason, and others) go that route if possible. The chutney will last for several days, refrigerated, in a jar or tightly covered.
- 1/4 cup / 1 oz / 30g finely chopped shallots
- 3 small lemons (4 to 5 oz each)
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
- kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil or mint
-
Heat the oven to 400°F / 205°C with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
-
Soak the shallots in a small bowl of cold water to reduce their strength a bit.
-
Set one of the lemons aside to use later. Slice about 1/4-inch off both ends of the remaining lemons and discard (this part is mostly pith which can make the chutney too bitter). Slice the lemons into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (see photo), and use the tip of a knife to remove any seeds. Arrange the lemons on the baking sheet and brush with a bit of olive oil. Turn and coat the second side with oil.
-
Roast the lemons, turning every 10 minutes, until they are very tender with just a few spots of brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Don't let the lemons crisp, and keep an eye on the bottoms, which tend to brown before the tops. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
-
Transfer the lemons to a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. If there are any juices (not burned or blackened) on the baking sheet, add these. Molly notes there frequently aren't any, which was my experience as well. Drain the shallots, shaking off any excess water, and add to the processor. Add the honey and pulse several times until the lemons are coarsely chopped. Add the juice from half the remaining lemon and the 1/4 cup / 60 ml of olive oil. Continue pulsing until the chutney is fairly smooth and creamy, with just a few lemon chunks. Season generously with salt and pepper and more lemon juice or honey to taste. Keep tweaking until it really tastes great to you. For example, if it's too tart for you, just keep sweetening a bit at a time.
-
Transfer to a small bowl and let sit for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld. Just before serving stir in the fresh basil or mint, taste, make any final adjustments, and serve at room temperature.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Adapted from Molly Steven's All About Roasting: A New Approach to a Classic Art, W. W. Norton & Company, November 1, 2011
Related Recipes
Shaker Lemon Pie
The defining detail of this lemon Shaker pie is the use of whole lemons for the filling. Thin slices of lemon including the peel, pith, and flesh are macerated in sugar and then turned into a vibrant, flavor-packed, custardy filling. Pair this with a flaky all-butter pie crust and you've got something special on your hands.
Glazed Lemon Cake
This lemon cake is moist, fragrant and topped with a salted lemon glaze. It is made with lots of lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You don’t need a mixer, the olive oil based batter comes together quickly, and you’re not much longer than an hour from having a beautiful cake to share.
Meyer Lemon Focaccia
You can make this. I promise! It's a golden crusted focaccia draped with whisper thin rounds of Meyer lemon, studded with black olives, and a showered with sliced almonds. It's the one focaccia recipe you need.
Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread
Certain adventures call for the perfect banana bread, and this was one of them. A moist, ridiculously good banana bread recipe. A banana bread that is chocolate studded, lemon kissed, and made with whole wheat flour (and olive oil) - from Melissa Clark's new book.
Post Your Comment
Comments
This sounds great - I wonder if it could be canned? It has plenty of acid... any ideas? It would make such a lovely Christmas gift!
What a heart warming story to share with your readers. I need to start looking through my stacks of cooking notes, books, mags the traditional way. you have just reminded me. thanks
this chutney and whipped goat cheese combination sounds like a little slice of heaven!
I love anything with lemons in it but wouldn't have thought of a chutney. Your pretty photo of the cheese- and chutney-slathered bread really makes me want to try it. We have Molly's Braising book but haven't used it enough. Too many cookbooks. :) We'll have to get it out. It's the perfect weather here--0 this morning.
Lovely photos! It's been a while since I my last holiday and I'm kind of jealous :) The chutney sounds fabulous! I can already imagine it spooned onto a some spicy crispy roasted chicken. Yum!
Heidi! a) Your trip just sounds incredible. I'm not jealous....AT ALL. b) I love love LOVE your photog talent. Your decisions on WHAT to shoot and WHERE to shoot it...so, so pimp. c) That roasted lemon chutney? Really? I wouldn't mind making a BODY WRAP out of it and sitting around for 7 hours in it. y.u.m. d) Go pick up your film! Dying here!
Heidi, what kind of food processor do you have? I'm getting married soon so I'm adding to my kitchen wish-list and I'd love your opinion! Thanks for posting all of your favorites - it's been great to browse and add some of those to my wish-list, too!
HS: I swear, my must be from the 80's. If you find one you love, I might be in the market too! :) Although, I think it'd be hard for me to let this one go at this point.
This sounds lovely!
"sunshine in a jar" !!!!
I would never think to roast lemons. That is one thing I can say I've never roasted, but gosh...I want to! My daughter's teacher has a HUGE lemon tree in her yard and has tons of lemons...I need to try this b/c I never met a chutney I didn't like. Great recipe!
How refreshing, I love lemon so I will give this a try!
Love your site, love your suggestions and recipes...thank you so much! Can you tell us of this drive, a little more information. We often drive the coast and always looking for new routes to and from! Thanks!
P.S. I realise I may have offended people at the suggestion of meat and fish - very sorry.
This sounds stunning! I can imagine it being especially good with fish, or chicken served with whole roasted garlic bulbs. Thank you for sharing this, and your beautiful photographs.
Can't wait - my Meyer Lemon tree is heavy with fruit - this recipe sounds delicious - do you think it will freeze? I've got a bumper crop this year!
Good day one and all, once again you have rained sunshine in the foodie world. This really sounds like a fabulous receipe that can change a regular dish into something new and refreshing. I now am wondering about doing this to tangerines, grapefruit and blood oranges. I believe this receipe will be apart of my holiday menu alongside my main dish.
I think I love the peeks into your life the most...your posts with tidbits of your world, your goings on, your travels. Your like the friend we all get to share who shows us all the cool things that is coming from your heart xo
HS: Great to hear from you Jessica. Please please pop me a note the next time you are in SF - it would be a treat to catch up in person. Hugs for Miss M. xo -h
Reminds me of a jam / chutney I bought in Puglia last year. It also contained red chilli peppers and red and black peppercorns, very delicious.
Sounds delicious - any reason this couldn't be canned in hot water bath (I'm thinking Christmas gifts, here...)?
Oh I can imagine using this on absolutely everything in sight! Wonderful!