Lemon recipes - Our favourite lemon recipes so you can make the most out of your organic lemons

lemon recipes

Here's a collection of lemon recipes from our weekly newsletters, and some lovely ones you've sent in. If you'd like more please have a look at our recipe index! To find out about our lemon producers and order yours click here.

Lemon Chicken
Lemon Marinade
Lemon Risotto
Lemon Garlic Butter
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
Lemon Vinaigrettes for Salads
White Chocolate, Coconut and Lemon Truffles
Sicilian couscous
Lemon Curd Pancakes, with English Strawberries
Lemon Drizzle Cake

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Lemon Chicken

A beautiful Chinese dish; serve on rice or noodles. Serves 4

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 500 g chicken breast fillet, cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
lemon sauce:
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 190 ml chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sherry or Chinese cooking wine
• Black pepper to taste

Combine egg white, cornflour, salt and ginger in a bowl. Add chicken and mix well to coat; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok or medium frying pan over medium heat. Drain the chicken, discarding the marinade; stir-fry until just cooked but not browned. Remove from the wok. To make the lemon sauce, mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. Add to the wok with the remaining sauce ingredients; stir and boil 1 minute. Return the chicken to the wok and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately.

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Lemon Marinade

Great for marinating poultry, seafood or vegetables before grilling or baking - or use as a dressing for salads and other prepared foods.

• 130 ml olive oil
• 80 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme or rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients well. Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Lemon Risotto

Serves 6 as a first course, or 4 as a main course

• 1.4 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 medium shallots, chopped
• 400 g risotto (Arborio or other medium-grain white rice)
• 60 ml white wine
• 75 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover. Melt 1/2 of the butter with the oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 300 ml hot stock; simmer until absorbed, stirring. Add remaining stock 100 ml at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more, and stirring frequently – until rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining butter. Stir in lemon juice and peel. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Lemon Garlic Butter

Spoon this delicious butter onto cooked meat, veggies or fish - or stir into finished soups and stews.

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated, minced lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use, and serve a spoonful on each hot serving. Alternatively, you can spoon the butter in a long mound on top of plastic wrap, then roll up the plastic wrap so that you have a sort of ‘log’ of the butter – refrigerate until it is hard, remove from the plastic wrap, and slice into disks for an attractive condiment.

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Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

This tastes amazing and complements so many desserts: fairy cakes, cookies, carrot cake, banana cake, lemon bread, chocolate sponge, pastries, tarts….

• 125 g icing sugar
• 100 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (zest only)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60 ml whipping cream

Blend sugar, cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in a food processor, using the ‘pulse’, or on/off turns. Blend in enough cream to form a thick but pourable icing.

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Lemon Vinaigrettes for Salads

Choose one of the following salad vinaigrettes and whisk the ingredients together; they should keep in a container in the fridge for up to one week. Serves approximately 4-6.

• Lemon-ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• Lemon-mint
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Spicy lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli paste or minced chili
• 3 tablespoons salad oil, such as olive, grapeseed, or avocado
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Lemon-blue cheese
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 or 2 tablespoons milk or water
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Creamy lemon-horseradish
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons plain horseradish sauce
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Lemon-Dijon
• 100 ml olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  
• Lemon-basil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, or 3 teaspoons dried
• 2 teaspoons drained capers, chopped

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White Chocolate, Coconut and Lemon Truffles

A superb and easy-to-make party treat. Makes 30-40

• 80 ml double cream
• 250g organic white chocolate (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 45g desiccated coconut

Heat 80ml double cream and 250g of good quality, chopped white chocolate in a saucepan over low heat until the chocolate has only just melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind, 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, and 45g of desiccated coconut. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours, until firm. Place teaspoons of the mixture on a foil-lined tray and refrigerate 2 hours more. Roll into balls, then coat with either toasted shredded coconut, toasted almond flakes, or grated chocolate. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

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Sicilian couscous

Serves 12 for under £8 (£7.73)

• 500g wholemeal couscous
• 150g raisins
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• juice and zest from 1 lemon
• ½ tsp fresh ground black peppercorns
• ½ tsp sea salt, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 900ml stock (chicken or veg – homemade or made with stock cube)
• 200g pinenuts, toasted
• 250g baby leaf spinach

Fold raisins, cinnamon, olive oil, salt and pepper through dry couscous in a large pot or dish you can cover. Warm stock to near boiling; pour over couscous and cover for 15 minutes. Fluff. Can be made a day in advance up to this point… When ready to serve, add pinenuts and spinach. Fold through. Serve within 4 hours.

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Lemon Curd Pancakes, with English Strawberries

A perfect weekend breakfast treat. Makes 8‐10 medium‐sized, American‐style pancakes.

• 2 medium‐sized eggs, or 1 large
• 150g self‐raising white flour
• 225ml milk (any will do – soya, full‐fat, semi‐skimmed…)
• 100g Abel & Cole lemon curd
• 220g English strawberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ vanilla pod (optional)
• Crème fraîche, to serve

Halve or quarter the berries. Rinse and sprinkle over the sugar, add the vanilla pod, if using, and set aside. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Sift in the flour. Pour in the milk. Stir until you have a smooth, liquid batter – it shouldn’t be too thick, or too runny. Add a touch more milk or flour to correct consistency, if needed. Swirl in the lemon curd. You want to see a nice ribbon of it through the batter – this will give it more lemony ‘umph’ than if you just whisk it in. Heat a non‐stick frying pan over a high heat. Melt 1tsp of the butter. Spoon in about ½ mug of batter – you want the pancakes to be about 7cm in diameter. When it starts to set and you can see a few little bubbles coming up in the middle, you’re ready to flip. Cook a minute or so on the flipside. Place on a plate, add a pat of butter. Continue with the remaining mix. Serve warm with berries and crème fraîche.

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Lemon Drizzle Cake

Serves 8

Lemon sponge


• 2 lemons, finely grated zest
• 200g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 200g self-raising flour, sifted


Syrup


• 4 lemons, juiced (100ml)
• 75g granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Don't use the fan setting on your oven if you have one; it will dry out the sponge.

Rub a large loaf tin or three mini loaf tins with butter. Dust with flour, tipping out any extra - you just want a nice coating of the flour sticking to the butter – make sure you do this right up to the tops of the sides.

Place the sugar, softened butter and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer. The result should be pale in colour, with a really light and fluffy texture. Putting in the lemon zest when you cream the butter and sugar helps to release the oils in the zest, producing a much more lemony sponge.

Now start adding the beaten egg, which should be at roughly the same temperature as the butter and sugar. Add it in stages, beating in after each addition. If it looks like it's going to curdle, add 1 tbsp flour.

Finally, fold in the flour. You will be left with a really thick mixture, but this is what you want for a dense sponge, so don't feel you have to add any milk. Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin or mini tins. Bake for 35-45 minutes (slightly less - about 25-30 minutes if you're using mini tins) until it is shrinking away from the side. Test it with a skewer to see if the mixture is cooked in the centre; it should come out clean or with crumbs, not with any mixture. Remove from the oven and, if it is done, gently prick all over with a toothpick, skewer or a fork with thin prongs about 20 times (less if your using a fork as it will obviously create more holes with each prick!).

Stir the strained lemon juice into the sugar so it dissolves a bit, but not fully. Drizzle over the cake, slowly, waiting a few moments before adding more, so that it all sinks in. It should leave a crust on the cake as the juices sink in. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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