For the love of lemons

“I’ve been scheming this book ever since I moved to Italy,” says food writer Letitia Clark, sounding really quite dastardly about it. Anchovies, spaghetti and lemons are, to her, the heart of Italian cooking, and she’d happily write single subject books on all three.

But lemons had to come first, hence her new cookbook, For the Love of Lemons. As a former pastry chef, the citrus fruit was intrinsic to making all the sweet things in her “pastry canon”, and they’re also a bit of a family obsession.

She hopes that after flicking through the book, readers will “look at the lemon a little differently and appreciate it”, especially the leaves, which are lemony, but a bit like a bay leaf and slightly herbal. “Food is something everybody has every day and it can be such a source of joy, pleasure and satisfaction,” she says. “There are not many things in life that have that power, so the lemon can do that for you.”

Lemon and courgette carbonara

A simple midweek supper with lots of zing.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 garlic clove, bashed

2 medium or 3 small courgettes, sliced in half lengthways, then into half-moons

Sea salt

180g pasta of your choice

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks

4tbsp grated pecorino (or Parmesan)

Zest of 1 small lemon, plus juice of ½

Basil leaves, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-low heat, then fry the garlic clove until it just begins to sizzle and smell good. Add the courgette slices and sauté, stirring regularly, until they are golden all over, beginning to break down and almost jammy. Season well with salt and set aside (or leave to cool, then keep in the refrigerator for future use).

2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in a large pan of well-salted boiling water until al dente.

3. Meanwhile, mix the egg and egg yolks, cheese and lemon into the courgette mixture, and begin to heat very gently, stirring all the time. Scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon straight into the courgette pan along with a splash or two of the cooking water. Stir and toss over a low heat until you have a creamy sauce that coats the pasta.

4. Taste for seasoning, add a few fresh basil leaves, extra Parmesan and a drizzle of your best oil, then serve.

Variation: Artichoke carbonara

Make as for courgette carbonara, but in place of the courgettes, use 4–5 prepared, sliced artichoke hearts, and finish with chopped mint rather than basil.

Lemon possets in lemon boats

A super fun and tasty pudding.

Ingredients

(Serves 8)

90ml lemon juice (I use 2 large lemons)

400ml double (heavy) cream

90g sugar

8 hollowed-out lemon halves, to serve

Method:

1. Combine the cream and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Stir gently (the cream will expand a lot) and continue to cook for a minute or two, making sure the sugar has dissolved.

2. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for a few minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice to the cream mixture, then decant into your lemon boats. (Note: the boats need to be on a flat surface so the liquid doesn’t spill).

4. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or overnight.

Pavlova with lemon olive oil curd

This is a grand statement of a dessert, perfect for summer parties.

Ingredients:

(Serves 8-10)

For the pavlova:

6 egg whites

350g sugar

Zest of 3 lemons plus 1tbsp juice

10g (cornflour (cornstarch)

For the yoghurt cream:

250ml double (heavy) cream

200g Greek yoghurt

3tbsp icing (confectioner’s) sugar

For the lemon olive oil curd:

5g cornflour (cornstarch)

Juice of 2 lemons

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks

140g sugar

40g butter

30ml extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt

To finish (Optional):

200g strawberries, halved

Edible flowers

Basil leaves

Lemon zest squiggles

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C fan (150°C/300°F). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.

2. Whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until they form stiff, satin-like peaks. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the time. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated and the meringue is once again in stiff and silky peaks, whisk in the lemon zest and cornflour.

3. Spread the meringue out into a large circle on the lined baking tray, making the edges a little higher than the middle to allow for the filling (I aim for pizza size, i.e. about 25cm/10in). Bake in the oven for around one hour until crisp (gently check the underside), then turn off the oven, open the door and leave to cool completely before topping.

4. To make the yoghurt cream, whip the cream in a bowl until you have soft peaks, then stir in the yoghurt and icing sugar.

5. To make the curd, whisk the cornflour into the lemon juice until dissolved, then pour into a small saucepan, add all the remaining ingredients and place over a medium- low heat. This will take around 10 minutes. Cook, whisking continuously, until it becomes thick and velvety. Set aside to cool until ready to use.

6. To finish, spread the cream over the top of the pavlova and then dot over the curd. Scatter over edible flowers, strawberries, basil leaves and lemon zest squiggles to your liking, and serve.

For the Love of Lemons by Letitia Clark is published in hardback by Quadrille