We spent a few days in the Italian coast town of Bellaria. I absolutely love the isolation and stillness of the seaside in the winter time. I love waking up early to take a walk on the half frozen sand and watch the sun rise – being greeted by just a few sea gulls and the chugging noise of fishing boats eagerly leaving the harbor in search of a good catch.
Bellaria’s golden sunrise was such a nice switch to the grayness of our Bavarian winters. I appreciate the change in seasons (I really do!) but I have grown to only enjoy snow when it can offer a romantically white Christmas… or perhaps while skiing in the sunshine… small doses kind of thing…
I am craving summer already and it’s merely the 2nd day of the new year, 2015! Patience is not my virtue, so in search of just a tinge of summer feeling, I have made lemon curd. It’s perfectly tart and perfectly sweet and OH so versatile. I’ve enjoyed it with crepes, as well as in tartlets with meringue or whipped cream…
The recipe is actually from one of Ottolenghi’s cookbook, with just the slight variation of cooking it in a bain-marie rather than directly in the pot. Any time I work with a recipe that requires cooking eggs, I am a bit weary of using too much heat (unless I am aiming for scrambled eggs)
You will need:
200ml of freshly pressed lemon juice
Zest of 4 organic lemons (unwaxed and unsprayed)
200g sugar
4 organic eggs
4 organic egg yolks
180g butter cut into cubes
Begin by weighing out 180g of butter and cutting it into cubes. Set aside 90g of butter to add in at the very end.
Zest the organic lemons before cutting them in half and juicing them.
Prepare a bain-marie over medium heat and mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs, egg yolks and 90g of the butter.
Whisk over medium heat in the bain-marie constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken and produces small bubbles. You will notice it thicken after a little while. Take care not to apply too much heat, or the eggs will scramble.
If you apply a small dab of the curd on the side of the bowl while it is cooking, you will be able to test if it is done or not. It is done, once it is no longer runny, and the small dab drips only slowly down the side of the bowl. When you reach this consistency, take the bain-marie off the heat – add in the rest of the cubed butter – and whisk well for a couple more minutes.
Because of the acidity of this curd, it is best not to store it in a metal bowl. Transfer it to a ceramic or glass bowl. Allow it to reach room temperature before covering it and keeping it in the refrigerator overnight. According to Ottolenghi, it will keep for 4 days.
If you have any great homemade recipes using lemon curd, please feel free to leave the link below in the comments!
Enjoy
Passports & Pamplemousse 