Citron c'est chic

Lemon is the culinary equivelant of the little black dress. Its sharp simplicity is almost audacious as it tingles tartly. It fits all sizes and works no matter what you’ve accessorised it with and on almost every occasion. Whilst pulses, potatoes, preserves and curds are all helped by its liveliness, meats such as chicken and lamb (as well as any thing pesce) are surely better tempered by a gentle marinade. But if you just add some sugar or honey you have the basis of a cake or pudding suitable for any palate. 

Lemon’s versatility perhaps is in its ability to enhance flavours – binding, adding contrast and giving  harmony to a dish.

Salad dressing

The first thing I ever learned to prepare, this simple salad dressing can be tarted up however you like, although some prefer it super simple.

Take the juice of a lemon and add very good extra virgin olive oil – at least the same amount as lemon. Season, shake (or whisk) and you’re zipped up and ready for action.

Do taste before you dress though, for if the lemon prooves too tarty, you can add a teeny bit of sugar to mellow things out a bit.

Try adding some chopped shallots, garlic or herbs or stirring in a teaspoon of mustard into the lemon until you have a viscous texture before stirring in the oil. 

For a Chinese version, add honey and soy sauce to the lemon, use less olive oil and two teaspoons of seasame oil instead – this works really well over thinly shredded Chinese cabbage.