6 sweet new ways to use lemons and limes

Lemons and limes are the zest of life, so why not use them for cooking in inventive ways?

1. To freshen up mayonnaise, stir five millilitres (one teaspoon) fresh lemon juice and five millilitres (one teaspoon) extra-virgin olive oil into each 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) mayonnaise.
2. For fluffier rice, add fresh lemon juice while the rice is cooking.
3. To give any quick bread a refreshing aroma, add 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) grated lemon zest. Try it in pancakes, waffles, muffins and coffee cakes, especially if the quick bread includes fruit such as blueberries.
4. To make aromatic olive oil, heat 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) olive oil in a pot over medium heat for five minutes. Remove from the heat and add 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) grated lemon or lime zest. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate the flavoured oil in a sealed container for up to one week. If the oil solidifies, let it come to room temperature and become liquid again. Use the citrus-flavoured oil on chicken and fish and in salads.
5. To give poached white fish fillets an especially bright white colour, add 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of fresh lemon juice to the poaching liquid. You get a nice flavour bonus, too!
6. To make better roasted chicken, take a tip from the popular Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan, who made this technique famous:

• First, rinse a 1 1/2 to two kilogram (three to four pound) chicken inside and out.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
• Then, roll two small lemons on a hard surface, pressing firmly to soften them.
• Using a paring knife, prick each lemon about 15 times to pierce all over.
• Place one lemon and one large fresh tarragon or rosemary sprig (or five millilitres/one teaspoon dried tarragon or rosemary) in the chicken body cavity.
• Push in the second lemon and secure the opening with toothpicks.
• Rub 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) olive oil all over the bird and sprinkle with two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) salt and one millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper.
• If you like, tie together the drumsticks with string so that the chicken will hold its shape.
• Place the chicken, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan and roast at 230°C (450°F) for about 20 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (325°F) and roast until the breast meat registers 180°C (350°F) on a meat thermometer and the juices run clear, 40 to 60 minutes longer.
• Remove from the oven, turn the chicken breast side down, and let rest in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
• After carving, open the chicken cavity and pour the juices all over the chicken meat.

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