Fried Lemon Slices with Aioli

I have been obsessed with Tastespotting lately. The pictures are so pretty and really, the whole website is just food porn. I spent a nice chunk of yesterday looking at it and then another bit getting Aaron to look at it with me. It’s even sadder when you’re reading it while eating pad thai from a box (note: do not do this. It is terrible).

In any case, I was perusing the yummies when I came across this recipe and I just stopped. It’s so different, so yummy looking, so fun! So yesterday afternoon, when my energy was starting to flag and green ginger tea wasn’t helping, I decided to just go for it. I always have a ton of garlic in my house (duh), so I knew the aioli would be a cinch. Plus I was given an extra lemon on Super Bowl and I just bought more panko, so I decided to do it.

And dang! They were so good and so much fun to make. The aioli is a snap with a food processor and it was nice doing it with fresh lemon juice. I also managed to make the garlic paste like they do in all those cooking shows. I have never before been able to do this and I’m not sure why. I think it doesn’t work quickly enough and I just give up or something like that. Unlike the original poster of the recipe, I don’t mind bits of garlic in my food, but it was nice to do it differently for a change.



Fried Lemon Slices with Aioli from userealbutter.com:

1 lemon, organic and thin-skinned
1 egg, beaten
½ c. panko

For the aioli-
3 cloves garlic (hmm… I used more. Big surprise)
½ tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

Peel the garlic cloves and mince. Gather the garlic into a little pile and pour the salt over it. With the flat of a sturdy knife blade, crush the salt into the garlic until you get a nice paste. Combine the paste in a bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk or beat the egg yolks together (you can also use a food processor), adding a few drops of olive oil at the start. Keep whisking and adding a little oil until it begins to thicken. While whisking/beating, pour half of the oil into the mixture in a slow and thin stream. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and continue whisking in the remaining oil until it reaches the desired consistency. Add more lemon juice and or salt to taste. I used all of the lemon juice because I love a tangy aioli.





Slice the lemon into 1/8-inch thickness. Dip each slice into the egg, then coat in breadcrumbs. Place in hot oil and fry for about a minute or until golden. Take care that there will be some splattering. Remove from oil and set on a rack to cool. Serve with aioli.



Aaron wasn’t really a fan of these, but I am. They are a fun, different appetizer and I am so, so glad I tried them. Thanks Tastespotting! As the OP said, these are also incredible in tacos. They add a bit of zip.