Can I Use Fresh Lemons Instead Of Preserved Lemons For The Moroccan Chicken Stew?

Our answer

Nigella's Slow-Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew (from SIMPLY NIGELLA) uses a North African-inspired combination of cinnamon, ginger, cumin, saffron, green olives and preserved lemons. Preserved lemons are lemons that have been salted and stored. The lemon juice dissolves the salt and the resulting brine softens the skin of the lemons and intensifies the flavour of the lemons, whilst mellowing some of their acidity.

We would not particularly recommend using fresh lemons as an alternative as the skins will not soften enough as the stew cooks and the flavour of the lemons will be a little too harsh and bitter. Instead, we would suggest cooking the stew without the preserved lemons but instead adding the pared zest of a lemon. To pare the zest, use a vegetable peeler to peel off very fine strips of the lemon zest, being careful not to include any pith. Use an unwaxed lemon, if possible. The zest should soften during cooking, or can be removed from the stew before serving. Once the stew has cooked, taste it and add a couple of squeezes of lemon juice from the lemon and an extra pinch or two of salt, as needed, to add a slightly lemony tang to the stew.