I’M COOKING WITH dried black limes

Dried limes are popular throughout Middle Eastern cookery. These are limes that have been soaked in brine, then left out in the hot sun to dry until they shrivel, harden and turn black. Dried limes have a slightly salty, sour, musky smell and taste, and are used to impart those notes to stews, soups, sauces and rice dishes. They also make a great herbal tea. Many Persian dishes rely on black limes for this distinctive taste and aroma, like the Persian Chicken Stew on page 140. Dried limes can be ground into a powder (remove the bitter seeds first) then lightly sprinkled over salads, rice or vegetables. If unavailable, it’s hard to recreate the same intriguing flavour nuances but sumac, fresh limes or preserved lemons make passable substitutes.