Squeeeze your lemons

I know what you are thinking: what an awkward title for a food blog. I promise you the subject of this article is probably the farthest thing from your mind. Have you ever made fresh salmon or mackerel in your oven or indoor grill? If you have then you are familiar with the awful fishy smell that’s left behind on your furniture and kitchen for days. Even before cooking fish most of us have experienced the challenge associated with cleaning fish. Unless you have an ocean behind where you live, you are probably buying aquarium raised, frozen or even thawed from frozen fish at your local grocer (I know ewww eh). Anyway, this reality means you often have had some issues with regards to cleaning your fish properly. Now most of us get our fish ‘cleaned’ (ie de-gutted and de-scaled) by the fish agent. But, I don’t know about you, I often find I still have to deal with the gutty-smell and as far I’m concerned, this smell ruins the result of an otherwise perfect fish stew. That is where squeezing lemons comes to the rescue.

I love lemons not only because they give most dishes that extra zing. But, they are a good prep agent for foods especially, fish (all kinds even smoked salmon or mackerel) and meat. Let’s face-it the ‘aroma’ (I will use a beautiful word to dignify an ugly child) of some food should be killed immediately after consumption and fish is one of those foods. So, if you’ve ever boycotted fish because of the smell be-it before or after cooking maybe you should try squeezing your lemons. They are excellent for ‘neutralizing’ the smell of fish before, during and after cooking. Use a few cut slices of lemon to wash the skin and gut of those slimy suckers and you’ll notice a difference in the results of your food and on your taste buds. Or throw cut-up pieces of (2 or 3) lemons inside a pot with water add some cloves or mint leaves and boil for about 10 minutes uncovered and voila, odour in your house is dead. Or use it to wash your hands after slicing smoked salmon and mackerel and bingo! Gone So, next time you hear Led Zeppelin’s song squeeze my lemons: think of the culinary benefits of literally squeezing those lemons.