This week I found 7 lemons in my crisper drawer that had to be juiced immediately. Normally I just freeze any excess juice and use it whenever I am making something that calls for the juice of a fresh lemon. I figure if I juiced it and froze it, it is close enough to fresh. But today I had about a cup of lemon juice which was just too much to freeze (Plus I did not have an empty ice cube tray to freeze single portions of the juice)
Lemon curd is not new to me, but I have always made it by a recipe that called for only lemon juice, egg yolks, salt, sugar, butter and lemon zest. I was not in the mood to use that many yolks (takes about 8) plus the lemons were not in good enough shape for zesting. I found a recipe using just 4 eggs (2 yolks, 2 whole eggs) and no zest. It promised to be a quick and easy curd recipe so I tried it.
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Before beginning I strained the lemon juice to remove any pulp or seeds then measured 1/2 cup of nice clear fresh lemon juice into my saucepan. Add the sugar and pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs and using a whisk, stir and stir until the mix is as smooth as possible. Add the cubed butter and cook on low heat whisking continually until the butter is completely melted and incorporated into the mixture. Increase the heat to medium and cook and whisk until the curd reaches a consistency almost like jelly. Remove from the heat and strain through a medium strainer. Unfortunately when using the whole egg a little of the white will cook and coagulate into little bits. After you strain using the medium strainer, strain again using a fine mesh strainer, into a glass container with an airtight cover. Store in the refrigerator up to a week.
Years ago I bought some glasses with plastic fitted lids from Horchow's. They called them French Jelly Jars (sounds so continental doesn't it) and I loved them dearly. Over the years the covers split and the glasses were nicked from almost constant use. A few years ago I saw them in a Crate and Barrel catalogue and was thrilled, then dismayed that my beloved French Jelly Jars had been demoted to working glasses? WTH! I paid a premium for French Jelly Jars and now I can buy a dozen working glasses (the same thing) for 20 bucks. So my curd, which is really French Jelly Jar worthy, now lives in a working glass.
Most likely I will make a sponge cake and serve it plain with a dollop of the lemon curd, but you can also use it as a toast spread, as a filling for a layer cake, or a filling in tart shells. It was quick and easy and I will make it again when I have citrus that needs to be used right away. I wonder how tangerine curd would taste? I have a few that have not been eaten yet and I might need to punt later in the week.
Yum.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will freely admit to the occasional spoonful of lemon curd. I don't need anything else with it.
Now that it has cooled it is the perfect consistency. I can eat a spoonful by itself also.
DeleteI love lemon curd and love the actual making of it. I have been known to eat it from a dessert bowl, nothing needed to go with it. However, I only make it to go with chocolate pound cake for Christmas. When I take it to dinners in Birmingham, I take the pound cake and lemon curd in a separate dish. I once found people were putting it on whatever dessert they chose from the dessert table. A friend had it on blueberry pie. She said it was delicious.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about my recipe, but I do know it makes a lot, maybe three cups or more.
Well now, there is a move to not be hoity toity, like Martha Stewart's "Everyday" line at K-mart. I guess your French glasses had to be demoted to "working."
They are just nice heavy drinking glasses but I always liked calling them French jelly jars just to sound tongue in cheek pretentious . Now I call them working glasses formerly known as French jelly jars.
ReplyDeleteI have never made lemon curd and have rarely eaten it. Wonder why I didn't cross paths with it more often? It would definitely make a heavenly filling for a cake.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely would be great as a cake filling
DeleteOh, the kind of lemon filling I'll actually eat with real lemons-not the artifical stuff so many cakes have in the center. I have to look up those glasses now-curious.
ReplyDeleteI am not crazy about artificial flavors since nothing matches the brightness and acidity of the real thing. The glasses are just basic heavy glasses__perfect for a male dominated family.
DeleteI adore lemon curd (or orange or passionfruit) but I have never made it. I was under the impression it's quite technical and hard to do, which is not my forte!
ReplyDeleteIt's terrific in sponge cake, I have also mixed it with whipped cream to make a tart filling.
I choose not to understand anything about the working glasses, the only appropriate name for something containing home made gourmet lemon curd is French jelly jars
It is really quite easy to make, Kylie. Give it a try!
DeleteI have never made lemon curd because every recipe I saw called for a lot of egg yolks. Your recipe sounds like something I might try to make. My trees are full of lemons, right now.
ReplyDeleteI had never made this simplified version before ans honestly, after the 2 strainings it tasted and had the same mouthfeel as the one made with just yolks. If I had citrus trees I would keep a jar in the fridge all the time.
DeleteGreat way to use up the lemons.
ReplyDeleteInstead of a cup of frozen lemon juice, I just froze a half and also had this delicious curd. It is a win/win.
DeleteI've always wondered how to make lemon curd - I assumed (wrongly) that it would require cream or dairy of some kind. This recipe seems simple enough even for me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt does require butter, but no cream. It is incredibly simple though!
DeleteIts good!
ReplyDelete