Moroccan Salad with Fried Lemon and Parsley
We continue with these hot days, so here I come with another refreshing dish to combat high temperatures. And Moroccans know a lot about that—their varied and rich cuisine includes easy, affordable, and very refreshing recipes, like this carrot and lemon salad, featuring one of the most commonly used citrus fruits in Morocco.
Characteristic features of this cuisine include the use of spices and nuts, tea as an essential drink, and the almost exclusively homemade preparation traditionally carried out by women. It enjoys an outstanding reputation—indeed, it is considered the best in the Arab world—partly due to its interaction with other cultures (African, Berber, Moorish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern), which has contributed great richness and variety, along with its millennia-old culinary traditions.
Bon appétit!
Ingredients for 2 people
4 carrots
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus a bit more for frying the lemon)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 handful of pine nuts
3 sprigs of fresh parsley
salt and pepper
Preparation
Slice the half lemon into thin rounds and cut them in half.
Pour oil into a frying pan, covering the entire surface, and add the lemon halves before turning on the heat. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes until caramelized, turning them several times.
Peel the carrots and cut them into thin strips (you can also buy them pre-cut in salad bags).
Remove the lemon slices from the pan and briefly sauté the carrots so they’re not too hard, about 10 minutes.
Mix the orange juice well with the spices and oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the carrots in a salad bowl and add the pine nuts, fried lemon, and parsley.
Dress with the orange juice, oil, and spice mixture, mix well, and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
You can also prepare it with raw carrots without sautéing them. They’ll be a bit crunchier, but just as tasty.