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Citrus Forward Sauce

jblo

jblo

Looking for pointers on how to highlight a citrus flavor in a cooked sauce (not fermented).
 
Generally, I add citrus juice (lime or lemon) towards the end of the cooking process because it seems the longer citrus is cooked, the less potent the flavor is.  Has anyone used zest in the sauce to bring out the flavor?
 
I'd like to experiment with an orange sauce, but I'm concerned that with orange being milder than lemon/lime, it will get lost.  I assume you'd have to use zest?
 
Any citrus tricks you could share would be appreciated.
 
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Make your own concentrates by cooking down the juices first... lemon, lime, or orange... and salt will boost the flavor, taste as you cook it down and add a pinch or so...
 
 
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Being more of a cook than a sauce maker, I would, like DF, add the zest, but also add the thinly sliced fruit minus any seeds, then blend thoroughly.  Do a smaller "test" batch to make certain your all flavor points are there.  All the pith of the lemon may be too much on the bitter end. 
 
Here's what Cooks Illustrated says about amping up the citrus flavor in one of their piccata recipes:
 
The sauce had nice body, but its lemon flavor was one-dimensional. Zest contributed depth, but something was still missing. I thought about eastern Mediterranean cuisines, in which whole lemons are preserved in salt and then sliced or chopped and incorporated into stews and tagines for incredible complexity. Preserved lemons weren't appropriate here, but what about adding whole lemon pieces to piccata? I quartered thin slices of lemon and simmered them in the sauce until they softened. Bingo: My twist on this classic recipe resulted in a truly complex sauce featuring tartness from the juice, fruity aroma from the zest, and a subtle bitterness from the pith.
 
There are recipes that advise zesting your citrus prior to juicing, then adding the zest to the juice and letting their flavors meld prior to using it in your recipe.  Avoid using only lemon oil, as it's really potent.  Lemon extract is lemon oil dissolved in alcohol.  
 
Their accompanying graphic from that recipe development:
 
 

Lemon Law: For Complexity, Use Every Part
We add lemon slices to our piccata to take advantage of the unique flavor that each part of the fruit provides.
landscape_hero_mobile_Lemons.jpg
 
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are you looking for a pepper hot sauce with heavy citrus notes, or an orange/citrus sauce with some heat from peppers (like an asian sauce, something for stir-fry or similar)?
 
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The d-limonene from citrus peels is strong and lends a different flavor, for example; orange juice vs. triple sec or that orange chicken at Chinese restaurants... you need to know what you are after in advance or you can screw up a recipe... I love me some lemon squares but that is pure lemon juice, the d-limonene would mess them up, but would be good in a dry rub for fish... it's all about what you are after and experimenting as well.
 
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salsalady said:
are you looking for a pepper hot sauce with heavy citrus notes, or an orange/citrus sauce with some heat from peppers (like an asian sauce, something for stir-fry or similar)?
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I think the direction of my original question was pepper sauce with heavy citrus notes, but YES!  I'm not sure where on the spectrum I'm going to land yet.
 
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Take several stalks of lemon grass. Around 4 6"-8" long from the root end. Beat them with the back of a clever, tenderizing mallet...whatever. Boil them in upto a quart of water for 5-10min. Use just the water for your hot sauce. Strain out all the lemon grass. You wont believe hot "citrusy" it smells but it wont add any acid bite to it. Really good with lemon drop peppers.
 
Good video on several ways to prepare it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58rSRxb_BMU
 
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jblo said:
Looking for pointers on how to highlight a citrus flavor in a cooked sauce (not fermented).
 
Generally, I add citrus juice (lime or lemon) towards the end of the cooking process because it seems the longer citrus is cooked, the less potent the flavor is.  Has anyone used zest in the sauce to bring out the flavor?
 
I'd like to experiment with an orange sauce, but I'm concerned that with orange being milder than lemon/lime, it will get lost.  I assume you'd have to use zest?
 
Any citrus tricks you could share would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
I just throw the whole halves the of lemon or lime in at the last minute after squeezing. I learned that F om a cook while he was making BBq sauce when I was in n the Corps ⚓️
 
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Pookie just reminded me of something. Use preserved lemons. The same thing to make more an chicken.
In a mason jar add halved lemons once it full squeeze some more with a motor. Add salt by weight of lemons in the jar about 9%. Close lid and store in dark place for atleast 6months. Use the syrupy brine and the skins of the lemons discard the pulp.
 

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ShowMeDaSauce said:
Take several stalks of lemon grass. Around 4 6"-8" long from the root end. Beat them with the back of a clever, tenderizing mallet...whatever. Boil them in upto a quart of water for 5-10min. Use just the water for your hot sauce. Strain out all the lemon grass. You wont believe hot "citrusy" it smells but it wont add any acid bite to it. Really good with lemon drop peppers.
 
Good video on several ways to prepare it.
Click to expand...
ooooh I'm going to be making another batch of Hot Lemon/Yellow Fatalli sauce and have lemon grass in my fridge.  GREAT suggestion! :D
 
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