I have a citrus intolerance, so an awful lot of recipes are off limits. What can I substitute for it?
Jane, Hoole, Chester
Citrus brings welcome sharpness, sweetness and freshness to food, cutting through the rich, buttery dishes that winter so often calls for. But when life doesn’t give you lemons (or limes, oranges and grapefruit), Ravinder Bhogal suggests looking to the Middle Eastern spice sumac. “It’s sharp and sherbetty in a similar way to lemon,” says the regular Guardian columnist and chef-patron of Jikoni in London. “If you were making a dip, for example, and couldn’t use lemon, finish it with sumac and you’ll get the same level of acidity.”
Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, chef-founder of Casa and Paco Tapas in Bristol, and executive chef at Decimo in London, agrees. He sprinkles sumac (and a drizzle of olive oil) over cooked fish: “That, for me, is the closest you can get to replicating that citrus flavour. I put it on everything: rice, eggs, salad ...” The latter is a particularly good pairing with sumac, says Chaya Pugh, development chef at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, both in the dressing or mixed with seeds to sprinkle on top. (Spoiler alert: “Later this year, we’re doing a watermelon recipe in the paper where, instead of using citrus juice, we mix sumac with sugar, salt and chilli for a tangy, sweet, spicy, sprinkly thing.”) Alternatively, Sanchez-Iglesias peps up salads with pickle juice, be that from kimchi, pickled onions or even pickled eggs: “Use a little of the liquid to make the dressing.”
Tamarind could also be used to get the citrus-free sharpness Jane is looking for. Bhogal says: “If you’re making a curry that calls for lime juice, say, you could get away with adding a teaspoon or so of tamarind instead – but keep tasting as you add it.”
Other fruity little numbers to explore are pineapple juice, which is “a wonderful tenderiser” that’s “perfect with meat, especially pork belly”; sour plums (pickled or Japanese umeboshi), which Pugh chops or blitzes before adding to soups, stuffings and roasts; and passion fruit juice – “Use that to make curd, so you don’t miss out.”
John Javier, executive chef at The Tent (at the End of the Universe) in central London, meanwhile, is a fan of verjus, which is made by pressing under-ripened grapes. It’s tart and acidic, but less so than vinegar (which we’ll get to), and, for Javier, much more than a citrus substitute: “In some cases, it’s better,” he insists. “I season cold broths and raw fish with it, and it’s also good in sauces [think beurre blanc]. Verjus has a strong flavour, though, so start with a small amount.” It also works a dream in granita. (Speaking of desserts, if you’re hankering for drizzle cake, Pugh suggests swapping citrus for pomegranate molasses in the icing.)
Vinegars, of course, are another useful tool for bringing acidity, contrast and balance to the party – and there are so many to choose from. “If you’re looking for a sweet sharpness, go for red-wine or sherry vinegar,” Bhogal says. “For something fruity, try apple cider vinegar. And if you’re making a mustard dressing, go for champagne or white-wine vinegar.” Or, she adds, simply crack open a bottle of white wine to cut through a risotto or fish stew, and pour yourself a glass while you’re at it.
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