The salad made from this big citron -Procida lemon, typical of the islands of Ischia and Procida, where citrus fruits are very popular and grow abundantly.

When the Pellicano team was renovating Mezzatorre, the local people were often bringing big baskets of lemon as small gestures of kindness.

“This is a dish that I loved eating as a boy who was lucky enough to have a vegetable garden with lemon trees”, says Chef Giuseppe d’Abundo, Il Mezzatorre.

In particularly, Sergio, the gardener, also known as “the poet” for his poetic vision of landscaping and gardening, grows the most delicious ones. This simple but tasty dish can be served as a refreshing and flavoured antipasto or snack.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

1 kg (2.2. lbs) Procida lemons or citrons
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of mint leaves
Salt
Garlic as an extra

Instructions

Wash lemon, remove the hard rind, keeping as much as possible the pith (white foamy part of the lemon). Cut into slices and serve laying flat on a dish. Season with olive oil, salt and mint leaves. Be generous with the oil and the dish is ready. If you want to make it tastier you can add some chopped garlic, you’ll get a surprising taste.

For a tapas version, we use only oil, mint and maybe some spicy salt and serve it as a base for crudo (raw fish).