Max Coen's Citrus Recipes: Elevating Dishes with Vibrant Flavours
Citrus season introduces a dynamic way to season food, offering vibrancy, nuance, and brightness that goes beyond a simple lemon squeeze. For chef Max Coen, citrus represents more than just acidity; it serves as a complex alternative to sugar and vinegar, providing bitterness, floral tones, sweetness, and sharpness in balanced measures. With over a hundred varieties of lemons, clementines, and limes available, Coen categorises them into two groups: sour citrus and sweet citrus. Understanding this distinction allows cooks to explore each variety's complexity and determine its optimal use in recipes.
Pork Chop with Citrus Butter
A well-seasoned pork chop requires minimal embellishment, but a punchy citrus butter adds lift and freshness while cutting through the meat's richness. For this butter, Coen uses sour lemons for acidity and balances it with sweet clementine juice to create a rounded flavour profile.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2
For the Citrus Butter:
- 150g room-temperature butter
- 20g parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 20g chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 40ml lemon juice, or other sour citrus juice
- 30ml clementine juice, or other sweet citrus juice
For the Pork:
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large pork chop, or 2 small ones – the best quality available
- Neutral oil, for searing
Begin by making the citrus butter. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk until smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning. The butter should have gentle sweetness and salinity with a sharp, citrus finish. Cover and chill, or keep at room temperature if cooking immediately.
For the pork, preheat the oven to 70C (50C fan)/140F/gas low. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Lightly season the chop on both sides, add a little oil to the pan, and sear for one minute per side. Transfer the pork to a rack set over a tray and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Do not clean the pan, as the fat and caramelised bits are essential.
After 10 minutes, return the pork to the hot pan for a quick second sear on both sides, then return to the rack and oven for another 10 minutes, aiming for a core temperature of 60C. Once reached, give the chop a final sear in the same pan on the stovetop to crisp the crust and raise the core to 63C. Thinly slice the chop, arrange on plates, and serve with the citrus butter melting over the top.
Citrus Curd with Amaretti and Pear
This light, balanced dessert centres on sharp citrus curd, complemented by amaretti biscuits and fresh pear for a playful mix of textures and acidity that keeps sweetness in check.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes plus additional
Serves: 4-6
For the Amaretti:
- 70g egg whites
- 200g caster sugar
- 200g ground almonds
For the Citrus Curd:
- 100ml fresh lemon juice, plus about 35ml extra to taste
- 40g caster sugar
- 100g whole eggs
- 160g unsalted butter
- Up to 60ml fresh clementine juice, or other sweet citrus juice (optional and to taste)
For the Cardamom Chantilly:
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 100ml double cream
- A pinch of salt, pink ideally
To Finish:
- 2 fresh pears, cored and thinly sliced at the last minute
Start by making the curd. Place lemon juice, sugar, and eggs in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk until the mixture reaches 80C. Scrape down the sides, then add butter and whisk vigorously for 20 seconds until smooth and emulsified. Transfer to a bowl, taste, and adjust with extra lemon juice or sweet clementine juice as needed. Divide the curd among four small serving glasses and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
For the biscuits, whip egg whites until fluffy, then gradually whisk in 50g caster sugar until dissolved and soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine ground almonds with the remaining 150g caster sugar, then gently fold in the whipped egg white mixture to form a sticky dough. Lightly dampen hands with water, portion the dough into 15g balls (yielding about 20), and arrange on a greased, lined oven tray, spacing them apart.
Preheat the oven to 185C (165C fan)/360F/gas 4½. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes until crisp at the edges but chewy in the centre. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, mix icing sugar and cardamom in a small bowl. Whisk the cream, then gradually beat in the icing sugar mixture until soft peaks form, being careful not to overwhip. Season lightly with salt.
To assemble, top each glass of set curd with a spoonful of cardamom chantilly, then add two crumbled amaretti biscuits and six thin slices of fresh pear. Serve immediately or chill until ready. Max Coen is the chef and co-owner of Dorian in London W11.
