Level Up - Zest
Level Up Your Cooking Skills with ZEST
Level Up is a new series from Bon Appétit Management Company focused on cooking techniques that our chefs use every day to elevate their from-scratch dishes — and you can, too! Read the tips, watch the video, and try the recipes. We’re collecting all of the Level Up installments here.
Make your cooking more a-peeling with citrus zest! This quick technique will brighten your next meal.
Adding citrus zest to a dish can make it ever so much more a-peeling! Aromatic oils in the colorful skins of citrus fruits (the thin layer above the bitter white pith) can amplify flavor in concert with the fruit’s juice, making lemon bars more lemon-y and citrus marinades taste more complex. A microplane makes fast work of grating fine pieces of zest away from the whole fruit. Or use a zester or paring knife to cut away larger strips for a cocktail twist or an addition to a savory stew.
Our Recipes Using Citrus Zest
Charred Cabbage with Kefir and Orange Zest
If you don’t already appreciate cabbage this charred, tender, deliciously dressed-up version is perfect with a sprinkle of orange zest.
Beet and Lemon Zest Hummus
Lemony and elegant, this unique take on hummus is so colorful it will draw a crowd and so delicious it will keep them coming back.
Wheat Berry Bowl with Lime Zest Vinaigrette
This hearty, flavorful bowl with a zesty vinaigrette has everything you need for a meal that will power your day (and week).
Links We Love
- Zest is one way to build flavor without the salt. Here are some other healthy flavor-building ingredients.
- Citrus zest is not only delicious, it boosts your immune system! Our registered dietitians break down 8 other foods to boost your immunity.
- Get zesty in the kitchen. Once you’ve mastered how to zest citrus fruits, try your hand at these 8 ways to use zest in the kitchen, from of Bon Appétit magazine.