Are lemon-scented herbs interchangeable?!
Are lemon-scented herbs interchangeable?
Can I substitute lemon myrtle, lemon verbena, lemon balm and lemon grass for lemon zest? If so, how does quantity change?
Answers:
It really depends on the recipe, although they all share lemony qualities they are not exactly the same.
The lemony herbs like the first three and lemon thyme have herbier, flowery flavours and are not ostensibly 'citrussy'.
Lemongrass has a slightly sharper flavour but would be difficult to substitute like for like as it is best used whole, allowing the flavour to infuse into the dish.
I would imagine for most stews or roast meats/fish you could substitute the zest of a lemon with about a tsp of chopped herb leaves, maybe a bit more, but they have quite a strong, almost menthol flavour.
For sweet dishes that are plain apart from the addition of lemon zest (like sponges) you could leave it out altogether, but these flavours are interesting when used in sweet dishes too.