During, seemingly endless, gray winter days, bringing a little sunshine into our meals is a true bonus. Beautiful colors, bright flavors, reminiscent of sunny days past or future, give us hope. That bitter tang from tiny morsels of zest, as it assaults each of our senses and bellows WAKE UP!!
Using the zest, the thin outer edge of the peel not the inner white pith, in recipes adds flavor, but no fat or sodium! How many ingredients, with that level of WOW, can say the same thing?
The easiest way to make quick flavor adjustments to many dishes, is by keeping a microplane handy in the kitchen. You can zest directly into the pan or do ahead and have it handy. It smells sooooo good, coming off the plane in tiny ribbons, as the oils are released into the atmosphere.
If you are in need of a large quantity, you might want to use a grater with a larger surface. I like to do this over a good size piece of waxed paper. Less mess and more zest for use.
I particularly like the bitter aspects of citrus zests. I use it frequently, in any dish that the primary fruit flavor would work with. Watch Fearless Feast recipes for lots of great ideas!
Enjoy! Chef Celinda