Uniquely Lemony Tofu

Featuring my new favorite flavor bomb

I’ve always liked the flavor of preserved lemons but it wasn’t until I finally got a jar of New York Shuk’s Preserved Lemon Paste that I realized how much I love it.

If you aren’t familiar, preserved lemons are a North African and Middle Eastern staple, made by combining whole lemons with salt and lemon juice in a jar and letting them sit until the lemon essentially pickles itself all the way through.

Through this process an incredible array of fermented flavors develop — bright, sour, salty, and funky; aromas that evoke citrus blossoms and really good lemonade. I wish I could be more specific, but it’s a difficult flavor to describe. It’s lemony, it’s salty, and it’s much more than that.

Except for the lemon seeds, the whole thing is consumed. Skin, pith, flesh, and even the brine. Preserved lemon gets tossed in whole into braises, chopped up and added to salads and rice dishes, used as a garnish, mixed into dressings and marinades, and much more, even sometimes going into baked goods.

It’s very easy to make preserved lemons at home (I say that, but I haven’t made them for at least a decade), or you can find them at Middle Eastern grocery stores and even Whole Foods.

But New York Shuk’s preserved lemon paste is so special. It’s perfectly balanced, silky in texture, and incredibly easy to use. I’m truly obsessed with it at the moment. I opened up my jar less than two weeks ago and while a little goes a long way, the jar is now empty.

New York Shuk’s Preserved Lemon Paste via their website

I’ve been playing around with a tofu dish that highlights this beautiful ingredient (this specific paste, but generally the wonderful flavor of preserved lemon), first envisioning a summery sandwich featuring a big slab of lemon paste–slathered, broiled or grilled tofu, and pickled zucchini ribbons. I couldn’t get this to work the way I wanted it to, but I’m going to keep trying.

Instead, where I landed is with this very simple dish of pan-fried tofu cubes and zucchini. It’s brightly but deeply, seductively lemony, and there are also thin zucchini coins that kind of melt in, taking a supporting flavor role and adding succulent texture. I’ve included a note below if you’d like to attempt making this recipe without the preserved lemons, but I think you’d be missing out.

Recipe Video