A SPANISH EASTER
In central Castile in Burgos province, lemons are big at Easter!
Spanish Easter Lemon Recipes
In central Castile in Burgos province, lemons are big at Easter!
In the villages on Easter Sunday families down jugs of lemon infused red wine and they make a simple bitter sweet lemon aperitif to pop on chunks of baguette, give these recipes a go.
They are simplicity incarnate!
THE APERITIF: LIMÓN DE PASCUAS
Easter Lemon Aperitif
Makes 450g
4 Lemons
250ml Olive Oil
100g Sugar
Baguette
- Peel 4 lemons and remove as much pith as possible. Break into segments, then slice each segment crossways into three chunks.
- Put the chunks into a bowl with 250ml of olive oil and cover with a layer of sugar about 5mm thick (about 100g). Mix, then cover and leave for 24 hours in the fridge.
- Eat with slices of country bread or baguette as an aperitivo – each person just dunks their slices of bread into the bowl, sliding on some lemon chunks and bitter-sweet juice.
THE DRINK: LIMONADA
Easter Wine with Lemon
The traditional Easter drink of Burgos is served either as an aperitivo, or with torrijas de leche at the end of a meal.
Makes 4 litres
500g lemons
a pinch of ground cinnamon 250g sugar
4 litres red wine
- Remove the rind and as much pith as possible from the lemons and cut into quarters.
- Put them into a big jug or bowl and add the cinnamon and sugar.
- Crush the lemons so that their juice comes out, then top with the wine.
- Leave to macerate for 2–3 days in the fridge, then bring the jug out before serving, to take off the chill.
- Strain through a sieve and enjoy.