If fruit jam is goody two-shoes of summer preserving – bright, sweet, lean, and peppy -- then fruit curd is the vixen. Creamy, voluptuous, a little mysterious, and a lot delectable, it might not be the first thing you’ d think to do with your farm-fresh basket of raspberries or rhubarb. This is because when it comes to curd, few people venture beyond lemon. But composed primarily of fruit juice thickened with eggs and butter, curds can be made with any acidic fruit. Berries, stone fruit, rhubarb (okay, technically a vegetable), or even super sweet cherries, grapes, and mangoes will all work, as long as you balance them out with a touch of citrus or vinegar for tang. Here are recipes for four curds you’ ve likely never seen before: fragrant raspberry-rose with a vibrant fuchsia hue; luscious mango revved up with lime; subtly tart rhubarb; and last but not least, good old lemon, with poppy seeds stirred in for crunch. Savor them poured into a tart crust, slathered onto buttered toast or scones, or spooned over fresh fruit. Or just lap them straight from the spoon, in true vixen style.
Rhubarb Curd
Makes about 1 ½ cups
10 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
1. Puree the rhubarb in the food processor until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes (add a few teaspoons of water if necessary to help the rhubarb move though try to keep this to a minimum so it doesn’t dilute the juice). Pour into a bowl lined with cheese cloth. Tighten the cheese cloth and squeeze out the juice with your hands, discarding the pulp. You should get about 2/3 cup of juice.
2. In a double boiler or a stainless steel medium bowl set on top of a medium heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of simmering water, combine the rhubarb juice, sugar, eggs, egg yolks and salt. Stir constantly, with a whisk, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides, while the liquid thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until dissolved.
3. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve and chill completely. Store, refrigerated, in an air-tight container.
Lemon Curd with Poppy Seeds
Makes about 1 ½ cups
½ cup lemon juice (from about 2 ½ lemons)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1. In a double boiler or a stainless steel medium bowl set on top of a medium heavy-bottomed pot with 2 inches of simmering water, combine the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, eggs, and salt. Stir constantly, with a whisk, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides, while the liquid thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 12 to 14 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in butter until dissolved. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve. Whisk in lemon zest. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and chill completely. Stir in the poppy seeds when cold.
Mango Lime Curd
Makes about 1 ½ cups
2 cups diced ripe mango
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cubed
½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1. In a food processor, puree the mango until smooth; strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl (you should have about 1 cup puree). Stir in the sugar, lime juice, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and yolks. Stir the egg mixture into the mango puree. Stir in the butter.
3. Scrape mixture into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the curd thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil.
4. Strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in lime zest. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill until firm.
Raspberry-Rose Curd
Makes about 1 ½ cups
1 to 2 (6-ounce) containers fresh raspberries, as needed
2 large egg yolks
2 large whole eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons rose syrup or ½ teaspoon rose water
1. Place a fine mesh strainer over a larger mixing bowl. Place half the raspberries in the strainer and, using a spatula, push the berries through the strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much puree as possible. You should have about ½ cup puree. If your berries are less juicy, you will need more; press additional berries through the strainer if necessary.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and eggs. Whisk in the puree, sugar, and lemon juice. Transfer to a large saucepan. Place pan over medium heat and, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula (make sure to stir the bottom and edges of the pot), cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil.
3. Remove from heat immediately and pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Whisk in the rose syrup. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer mixture to a small container and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
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