Preserved Lemon Vodka Martini

Last month I shared a recipe for making traditional preserved lemons. The lemons have been pickling in their citrusy salty brine for a couple of months now. The lemons are ripe and ready for making a preserved lemon vodka martini.  I recently shared other recipes using the lemons on the Sur le Plat blog for Moroccan chicken and roasted cauliflower and broccoli with preserved lemons.

But, did you ever imagine that you could also use these briny lemons in a cocktail? This preserved lemon vodka martini could be compared to a dirty martini, however the saltiness comes from the pickled or preserved Moroccan style lemons. And, I recommend using vodka rather than gin.  The martini has a unique, crisp, flavor and may take a few sips before it grows on you. All you need is a couple of ounces of your favorite vodka, a touch of dry white vermouth, a little of the briny lemon juice from the preserved lemons and a sliver of the lemon rind for a garnish.

In a recent post on roasted vegetables with preserved lemons, I provided you with many examples of how to use these lemons in everything from vegetables to meats and seafood to cheese appetizers. I hope that you are beginning to experiment and feel comfortable substituting these pickled lemons in place of lemon zest and lemon juice or even to enhance whatever you may be cooking today.

This cocktail is simple and does not require any special equipment or exotic liquors. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker or a tall glass. Fill the shaker with ice and stir,  but don’t shake, the ingredients to combine.

Use a strainer to pour the chilled liquid into a frozen martini glass or cocktail glass of your choice. Garnish with a couple of slivers of the preserved lemon rind. Et voila! Cheers to our versatile preserved lemons and to the weekend!