RED ONION, PARSLEY, AND PRESERVED LEMON SALAD

Red Onion, Parsley, and Preserved Lemon Salad image

Yield Serves 6 as a first course

Number Of Ingredients 13

3 cups thinly sliced red onions
1/2 cup coarsely fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
peel of 1/8 preserved lemon cut into julienne strips, plus 1/3 cup preserved lemon juice or fresh lemon juice to taste
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
a pinch cayenne, or to taste
coarse salt to taste
Preserved Lemons:
4 large (about 6 ounces each) lemons (preferably thin-skinned), scrubbed
2/3 cup coarse salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 5 large lemons)
olive oil

Steps:

To prepare salad:
In a bowl cover onions with cold water and soak 30 minutes. Drain onions well and pat dry between layers of paper towels. In a bowl stir together onions with remaining ingredients and let stand, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
To make Paula Wolfert's Seven-Day Preserved Lemons:
Dry lemons well and cut each into 8 wedges. In a bowl toss wedges with salt and transfer to a glass jar (about 6-cup capacity). Add lemon juice and cover jar with a tight-fitting glass lid or plastic-coated lid. Let lemons stand at room temperature 7 days, shaking jar each day to redistribute salt and juice. Add oil to cover lemons and store, covered and chilled, up to 6 months. Makes 4 preserved lemons.