Lemon Confit Recipe: 3 Tips for Making the Condiment

Lemon confit is a sweet or savory condiment made of slow-roasted lemons in oils and aromatics. “Confit” is a French term that refers to an ingredient preserved in fat—either its own, as with duck confit, or in olive oil, like fennel or garlic confit.

To make savory lemon confit, roast the fruit in olive oil and aromatics like garlic and fresh herbs over a few hours in a low oven. You can make sweet lemon confit by slow-roasting the fruit with sugar and vanilla. Lemon confit both extends the life of fresh lemons and deepens their innate sweetness, resulting in a complex flavor profile suitable for several applications.

There are various ways to use lemon confit as a condiment. Consider the following for appetizers and side dishes:

1. 1. As a topping: Serve lemon confit over pasta as a minimalist sauce (garnished with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese), or spoon it over grilled fish or roasted chicken. You can also top ice cream and cake with lemon confit.
2. 2. Over salad: Serve lemon confit with a charcuterie board as a spread for creamy cheeses like ricotta or goat cheese. Use it in composed salads like a Caprese, with torn mozzarella or burrata, or as a part of salad dressings and vinaigrettes.
3. 3. With toasted bread: Serve lemon confit with thick slices of grilled bread, or crispy, thin crostini, either on its own, drizzled in aged balsamic, or as part of bruschetta with fresh basil.

Follow these tips for making and storing lemon confit:

1. 1. Add sugar for extra complexity. To enhance the natural sugars or acidity in the lemons, add a teaspoon of brown sugar or balsamic vinegar to the oil mixture. The low-and-slow cooking process gives the sugar time to develop a deep, caramel flavor, while the tanginess of the balsamic will mellow into an earthy fruitiness. This makes a delicious, gluten-free topping for ice cream or lemon pound cake.
2. 2. Scrub the lemons. Producers spray lemon peels with a thin coat of (harmless) wax to ensure the citrus stays fresh longer and to prevent drying. Gently scrub the outside of the fruit under running water to remove the wax. Or you can simply plunge the lemons into a bowl of boiling water for twenty seconds.
3. 3. Store leftover lemon confit. Store lemon confit in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to one month.