+30 22980 23687
Katerina's Kouzina

Sugared Lemon Slices With Chocolate

As you probably know, lemons are an endless inspiration to me. I use them in many different ways in my cooking, from soups to desserts. In today’s recipe I use lemons for a sweet; please enjoy these sugared lemon slices with chocolate! They go nicely with a cup of coffee and tea or on top of your favorite cake!

Lemon stories

As well as many lemons in my cooking, I always have many lemon stories. Let me tell you about my grandmother Katerina from my father’s side. She was born on Methana, a volcanic peninsula close to Poros. A dry land full of rocks and people of Albanian descent. It’s one of my favourite places around here that I love to visit with friends on a day out! I especially like going to the volcano near the village of Kameni Hora.

Methana

When my grandmother was born on Methana, the area was poor and the people worked hard in the fields that they had created on the harsh mountains. They had made different terraces. To be able to water their fields, they had to bring water from afar and carry it all the way there. Everybody participated: young and old, men and woman.

Favourite grandmother

My grandmother Katerina was my favourite grandmother, not only because we have the same name, but because she was a very nice person that had time for us grandchildren (like all grandparents). Her hair was fair and every morning she covered it under a scarf after she had combed it a hundred times. She told me that combing it a hundred times was her secret to having nice long hair and she advised me to do the same.

One of the things I remember the most about my grandmother where her hands. When she died at the age of 82 her hands where still very soft, white and beautiful. The other day I asked my mother how it was possible that my grandmother had such nice hands with all the hard work that she did. My mother told me that she always had half a lemon next to the sink. She used it every day to wash the dishes and especially her hands. It was a brief moment of luxury during her day. A moment that made her hands look the way they did!

Lemon sweet

Coming from Methana, lemons were not locally available, they had to get them from the lemon grove of Poros. Back then it was quite a journey, while we now think of Poros and Methana as close. It was a luxury for the people of Methana to have the lemons. I think after squeezing them on top of her food, my grandmother kept the lemon cup for a few days next to the sink. I am using the lemons today in a different way, and from a luxurious item they become a sweet in this recipe; sorry grandma!

Sugared Lemon Slices With Chocolate

I have made the recipe for the sugared lemon slices with chocolate together with Argiroula, who works at Odyssey. We make this sweet in the winter and put it in jars for the summer. Every time our intention is to use the lemons for decoration in the summer, but we end up using them for recipes and eating them way before the summer arrives!

Argiroula and I also make this sweet with oranges, mandarins and even grapefruit. So try it with lemons and let me know what you think!

Do you want to cook with Katerina at Odyssey?
Click here for more information!

Ingredients

200 grams sugar
200 grams water
5 lemons
150 grams chocolate

Instructions

1. We start by making the syrup; Boil 200 grams sugar and 200 grams of water in a pan for 6 minutes. Let it cool down and boil it again for another 3 minutes.
2. Slice the lemons into thin slices.
3. Place your slices in the pan with the syrup.
4. Let the lemons simmer gently in the syrup for 10 to 15 minutes until the rinds are softened. You want them to get cooked enough so that the rinds get fully candied, but not too much! If you slice them thinner they’ll cook faster and thicker slices will take longer.
5. When they’re done, gently remove each slice and lay them on a piece of parchment paper. You are supposed to let them stand for 24 hours but we put them in the refrigerator often so we can eat them sooner. The lemon slices will get shiny and dry the next day.
6. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and dip half of each slice in it, then let them cool (do not refrigerate them at this stage) on a greaseproof paper or a wire rack.
7. At this stage, you can eat the lemon, rind and all! It’s still slightly bitter, but since it’s absorbed all of the sugar, it actually tastes pretty yummy.
8. When I use the lemon slices to garnish desserts, I like to dip them (either entirely, or half-way, as you see in these photos) in sugar to make them sparkle.

Servings : 10
Ready in : 1470 Minutes
Recipe Type : Desserts

0 Reviews Found

Leave us your review

Katerina's Kouzina recipes


*By submitting, you are accepting our privacy policy.

Subscribe to our Newsletter for latest news.


*By subscribing to our newsletter, you are accepting our privacy policy.