How To Get Citrus Taste Without Using Fruit | Kitchen Aid

I have a citrus intolerance, so many recipes are off limits. What can I substitute for it?Jane, Hoole, ChesterCitrus brings a welcome flavor, 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 grapefruits), Ravinder Bhogal suggests turning to Middle Eastern spiced sumac. "It's zesty and lemon-sherbet," says the regular Guardian columnist and chef-boss of Jikoni in London. "If you were making a dip, for example, and you couldn't use lemon, finish it with sumac and you'll get the same level of acidity."

Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, founding chef of Casa and Paco Tapas in Bristol, and executive chef of Decimo in London, agrees. He sprinkles sumac (and a drizzle of olive oil) over cooked fish: “To me, this is the closest thing to reproducing that citrus flavor. I put it on everything: rice, eggs, salad..." The latter goes particularly well with sumac, explains Chaya Pugh, head of development at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, both in vinaigrette and mixed with seeds to sprinkle on top. (Spoiler alert: "Later this year we'll be doing a watermelon recipe in the newspaper where instead of using citrus juice we mix sumac with sugar, salt and chili for a tangy thing, sweet, spicy, and sprinkled.") Alternatively, Sanchez-Iglesias spics up salads with pickle juice, whether it's kimchi, pickled onions, or even pickled eggs: "Use a little liquid to make the dressing."

Tamarind could also be used to achieve the citrus-free sharpness that Jane is looking for. Bhogal says, "If you're making a curry that calls for lime juice, for example, you can just add a teaspoon of tamarind instead, but keep tasting as you go. add."

Other fruity little numbers to explore are pineapple juice, which is "a wonderful tenderizer" 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 it to make curd, so you don't miss a thing."

John Javier, Executive Chef of The Tent (at the end of the universe) in central London, meanwhile, is a fan of verjuice, which is made by pressing under-ripened grapes. It's tangy and acidic, but less than vinegar (which we'll come 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]. Verjuice has a strong flavor, so start with a small amount. It also works a dream in granita (Speaking of desserts, if you're craving drizzled cake, Pugh suggests replacing citrus with pomegranate molasses in the frosting.)

Vinegars, well sure, are another useful tool for bringing acidity, contrast and balance to the party - and there's so much to choose from." If you're looking for a sweet sharpness, go for red wine vinegar or sherry," says Bhogal. "For something fruity, try apple cider vinegar. And if you're making a mustard vinaigrette, go for champagne or white wine vinegar. Or, she adds, just open a bottle of white wine to slice a risotto or fish stew, and pour yourself a glass while you're at it. p>

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