Cook's corner: A sub for Meyer lemon juice

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Q: A year or so ago, I picked up a recipe card at Williams-Sonoma for a lemon cake that used Meyer lemon juice, which you could buy there.

I have misplaced the card, and Williams-Sonoma is saying they don't have the recipe on file anymore. Do you know where I could find it?

_Kathy Gebo, Watertown, N.Y.

A: Meyer lemons, for those unfamiliar with the fruit, are believed to be a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, and were introduced to the United States from China in 1908 as a landscaping plant by Frank Meyer of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are larger, sweeter and less acidic than a traditional lemon, with a thin, bright yellow-orange peel and an intoxicating fragrance.

My local Williams-Sonoma did not have Meyer lemon juice, and it is not available on the catalog Web site, so tracking down the cake recipe will have to depend on other readers. The only commercially produced Meyer lemon juice I could find is a frozen concentrate that is prohibitively expensive to ship. And finding fresh Meyer lemons can be tough except in late winter when they're in season.

That said, I've found that a mixture of two parts lemon juice and one part tangerine juice comes close to the flavor of Meyer lemon when you can't get the real thing. Use this blend in place of lemon or orange juice in any favorite cake recipe. I tried it in my favorite pound cake, which I'm sharing here, and can't wait to try it with Meyer lemons when they're available.

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Q: Do you have a good method for making coconut-curried fish? We were at a business dinner where they served baked salmon with the most delicious glaze, but the caterer would not part with the recipe.

_Sylvia P., Miami

A: Ever since I found the recipe here years ago in the excellent "Made in The Shade" by the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale, Fla., it has been a favorite. I use it on fish, shellfish and chicken. It's amazingly simple.

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Q: I have been receiving The Herald for over 30 years so I know I got this recipe from it sometime in the 1980s. It was for delicious, rich shrimp fritters made with Vidalia onions using a blender to chop and mix. I am hoping someone has the recipe.

_M.

A: I searched our archives and was unable to find the recipe you remember. Perhaps it came from another publication, and a reader can provide it. In the meantime, I fiddled with my favorite fritter recipe to approximate it. You could season it with Cajun spice mix or Old Bay rather than salt and Tabasco.

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SLEUTH'S CORNER

Q: Does anyone have a good recipe for a Jewish dish my grandmother used to make that was like a stir-fry but used farfel instead of rice? She served this all year, not just at Passover.

_Joan

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SHRIMP AND SWEET ONION FRITTERS

1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion

6 ounces cooked shrimp

About 1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Few dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Quarter the onion and place in blender or food processor. Pulse to chop medium fine. Remove to large bowl. Add the shrimp. (If tiny, leave whole. Larger shrimp should be coarsely chopped.)

Place the flour, baking powder, salt, milk and egg in blender or food processor and pulse to mix thoroughly. With machine running, add lemon juice and Tabasco. Pour into bowl with the onion and shrimp and mix by hand.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Batter should resemble pancake batter; if too thin, add more flour; if too thick, add more milk.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy pan to 375 degrees. Working in batches, slip tablespoons of batter into the oil, avoiding crowding, and fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. (Try one to be sure it is cooked through. If it's not, increase cooking time by up to a minute.)

Drain on paper towels and place in oven to stay warm while cooking the rest of the batter. Serve with cocktail or hot sauce. Makes 20 fritters.

Per serving: 118 calories (59 percent from fat), 8 g fat (1.4 g saturated, 3.2 g monounsaturated), 28.4 mg cholesterol, 4.6 g protein, 7.8 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g fiber, 350.4 mg sodium.

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CITRUS POUND CAKE

1-˝ cups (3 sticks) butter

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

3 cups sugar

6 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated tangerine or orange zest

GLAZE:

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon tangerine or orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated tangerine or orange zest

Cut butter and cream cheese into small cubes; allow to soften at room temperature 10 minutes. Thoroughly grease a 10-inch tube pan. Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until blended and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. (Rub a small bit of batter between your fingers; you should not feel any sugar grains.) Beat in eggs one at a time. Add flour, stirring just until incorporated. Stir in vanilla and zests.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour and 45 minutes, until cake tests done. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan to cool completely.

To make glaze, whisk together all ingredients and drizzle over cake. Makes 20 servings.

Per serving: 393 calories (44 percent from fat), 19.4 g fat (11.7 g saturated, 5.3 g monounsaturated), 112.5 mg cholesterol, 4.8 g protein, 51 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 153.1 mg sodium.

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KEY LIME COCONUT CURRY SAUCE

2/3 cup canned cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)

˝ cup Key lime juice

7 tablespoons minced green onions

2 teaspoons curry powder

˝ teaspoon cayenne

˝ teaspoon salt

Ľ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Whisk the cream of coconut and lime juice in a bowl. Stir in the onion, curry powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Brush the sauce over fresh Florida seafood before and during grilling. Be sure to reserve some of the sauce to serve with the seafood. Makes 1-˝ cups.

Per tablespoon: 32 calories (37 percent from fat), 1.4 g fat (1.3 g saturated, 0.1 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 0.2 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 0.2 g fiber, 51.8 mg sodium.

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© 2008, The Miami Herald.