Their zest and juice are companionable to almost all cuisines.
They are essential in Asian, Caribbean and Latin kitchens for their fragrance and citrusy accents. Chefs everywhere use them to brighten seafood, marinades, melons and salad dressings. Bartenders need them for margaritas, daiquiris and tonics.
Refreshing ... warm weather begs for lime's sweet-sour tang.Credit: Jennifer Soo
But one of the best use of limes is in a summer dessert. When a warm-weather dinner begs to finish with a refreshment, bring on a favourite sweet-tart lime showstopper for guaranteed applause.
When shopping for limes, always choose ones that are heavy for their size with a glossy peel - indicating that they are rich in flavourful oils.
To remove the zest only and none of the bitter white pith, use a citrus zester - a must-have gadget for every home kitchen.
As long as you plan to use them in a day or two, store limes at room temperature. They keep nicely in the fridge without spoiling or spotting for about two weeks.
They go with everything, so just keep them around for an inexpensive flavour enhancer. Sprinkle a few drops of the juice on avocado to keep it from discolouring. Spritz a salad or a bowl of cut-up fruit. Add wedges to freshen a pitcher of ice water.
Getting juice from a lime is like getting conversation out of a teenage boy. It's in there, all right, but hard to squeeze out. In his book, What Einstein Told His Cook, Robert L Wolke cracked that code.
"If you are hand-squeezing limes and have a microwave oven, do this. Roll the limes firmly on the counter with the palm of your hand. Then microwave each one for 20 seconds. Then, holding the lime over a container, slice and squeeze," he writes.
Since limes are fickle (a little juice, a lot of juice), recipes should specify the number of millilitres needed, rather than, say, "juice of half a lime".
Here are some classic lime recipes:
LIME CURD TART
Match a tangy lime-curd filling with a buttery short crust to cap an all-grilled dinner on the deck. Whipped cream tames the zing and adds a luscious mouth feel; don't even think of leaving it off. Don't like to make pastry? Buy a ready-made shell.
Ingredients:
4 limes at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
120 grams unsalted butter
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt
25cm baked tart shell
Thickened cream
Method:
Remove the zest of 4 limes with a zester or citrus plane, being careful to avoid the pith. Roll the limes on the counter with the palm of your hand, then microwave each one for 20 seconds. Halve and squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside.
Finely mince the zest. Cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.
Fill the tart shell with lime curd and allow to set at room temperature. Before serving, softly whip more cream than you think you will need. Each slice of tart should have a generous drift of whipped cream.
KEY LIME CAKE
This great big cake serves a crowd and must be made in advance.
Ingredients:
Fine, dry breadcrumbs, for coating pan
3 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup whole milk
Finely grated zest of 3 limes
For the glaze:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup icing sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Thoroughly butter a 25cm ring tin. Sprinkle the pan with the breadcrumbs to coat.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter until soft. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 additions with the milk in 2 additions, scraping the bowl as necessary, beating just to mix after each addition. Stir in the grated lime zest by hand.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, pouring half the batter on one side of the ring tin and half on the other. Level the top by briskly rotating the pan back and forth between your palms.
Bake the cake until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 1-1/4 hours). Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack (10 to 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Stir the lime juice and sugar in a small bowl just to mix. Place a cake rack over the ring tin and invert the cake onto it. Place the rack over a large sheet of foil. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze all over the warm cake, until completely absorbed. Brush on any glaze that drips onto the foil.
Let the cake cool completely. Use a flat-sided baking sheet or a very large spatula to transfer the cake to a round platter or cake plate.
CREAMY LIME RICOTTA TART IN A GINGERNUT CRUST
Ingredients:
1 and a half cups ricotta
90 grams cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Gingernut biscuit crust baked and cooled (see recipe below)
Strips of lime zest, for garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Place a rack in the centre position.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta and cream cheese. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until well blended and no lumps remain (about three minutes). Add the sugar, flour and salt and continue beating until well blended (about one minute). Add the egg yolks, lime zest and lime juice. Beat until just mixed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the filling into the crust and spread the filling evenly.
Bake the tart until the filling just barely jiggles when the pan is nudged (30 to 35 minutes). Let cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate the tart in the pan until chilled and firm (2 to 3 hours). Serve garnished with strips of lime zest.
Serves 12.
GINGERNUT BISCUIT CRUST
This is a handy recipe to keep around.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Place an ungreased 22cm fluted tart pan with a removable bottom on a baking sheet for stability.
Toss 20 gingernut biscuits into a food processor along with 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons butter, melted. Whirl to blend. Transfer the crumbs to the tart pan.
Using your fingers, pinch and press the crumbs up the side and evenly on the bottom of the pan to make a compact layer. (Use a metal measuring cup with straight sides and a flat base for this task.)
Bake the crust until it smells nutty and fragrant (about 10 minutes). Set the baked crust on a rack and let cool. Crust can be made up to a day ahead of filling and stored, covered, at room temperature.
SHNS