While Sicilian lemon and cedro salads may seem unusual, they are popular as accompaniments, especially with grilled fish or meat in Sicily .
Citrus fruit is central to Sicilian cuisine. This is most evident in the island’s remarkable variety of citrus, including oranges, tangerines, mandarins, lemons, cedri and limette.
Sicily’s landscape is dotted with citrus groves, especially around Syracuse, the Plain of Catania and the Conca d’Oro near Palermo.
Sicily is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of citrus, particularly lemons. The island’s climate allows for a long growing season and ensures that different varieties of lemons can be harvested over three distinct periods each year. It’s no surprise that lemons appear everywhere in Sicilian cooking.
Fresh lemon juice and grated rind are used to brighten savoury dishes, enrich sweets and balance the deep flavours of Sicilian cuisine. Even the leaves are used: threaded between skewers of meat or fish, they lend a gentle, perfumed aroma.
Lemon juice is indispensable in marinades and essential for preventing discolouration in fresh produce — whether tossed through fruit salads or rubbed on artichokes as they’re cleaned.
Sicilians also use lemons generously for drinks, liqueurs, essences, jams and marmalades. Candied or preserved peel is a key ingredient in the island’s pastries and confectionary — think cassata, cannoli and festive sweet breads.
Alongside lemons, cedro (citron) has a starring role in Sicilian patisserie. Cedri grow in Sicily and Calabria and are easily recognised: large, spherical fruit with a thick, wrinkled rind that turns from green to yellow when ripe. Their fragrance is even more intense than that of lemons. The thick peel is often candied, and both the fruit and rind are used to make a sweet paste essential in traditional pastries.
Sicily benefits enormously from lemon production, not only in cuisine but also in medicine, aromatherapy, perfumery and cleaning products. Lemon oil is prized for its antiseptic and antibacterial qualities, and citric acid remains essential in food preservation.
The flowers and leaves have ornamental value as well—the white and pale-violet blossoms are beautifully scented and remain traditional in bridal bouquets and inserted in button holes in men’s jackets at weddings.
When Sicilians and other southern Italians migrated to Australia, one of the first things they planted was a lemon tree, often grafted to produce several citrus varieties on one rootstock. That instinct to plant citrus travelled with them.
While many people are familiar with Sicilian orange salads (especially those made with blood oranges, usually with fennel), fewer think to make a Sicilian lemon salad. It’s one of my favourites, particularly with grilled fish such as sardines.
The last time I made it, I served it with a pork terrine — and it was a perfect match.
Sicilian Lemon Salad Recipe
Use large, mature lemons — the rounder and more substantial the better. The generous pith is key to this salad’s unique sweetness. Salt brings out that natural sweetness, just as balsamic vinegar enhances strawberries.
Ingredients & Method
- Peel the lemons using a potato peeler, leaving as much pith as possible.
- Halve the lemons and squeeze out a little juice to avoid excessive acidity.
- Cut into quarters, then into slices or bite-sized pieces. Remove any pips.
- Add finely chopped parsley or mint.
- Dress with extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground pepper and salt.
Simple, refreshing and unmistakably Sicilian.
LEMON MARMALADE TO USE IN SICILIAN PASTRIES. Conserva/ Marmellata di Limone (o di Cedro)