Make Ahead

Winter Citrus Custards: Blood Orange Curd + Meyer Lemon Curd

March  6, 2015
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes 2 cups Lemon Curd, 1 Cup Blood Orange Curd
Author Notes

Citrus is at it's finest in the depths of winter, a welcome blast of tart, bright edible sunshine. These elusive winter gems seem to pop-up overnight and disappear just as quickly. Gather a bag (or two) of these fine fruits while they are still abundant and make yourself a winter treat: Meyer Lemon Curd & Blood Orange Curd. Dolloped onto yogurt, spooned directly into happy mouths, baked into bars, meringue pies or tarts, poured over pavlovas... the possibilities go on and on.

Recipe based on "Classic Lemon Curd, and variations" from Rose Levy Beranbaum's aptly named "Pie & Pastry Bible". —Charlotte Curtis

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Meyer Lemon Curd
  • 9 Egg Yolks (or 1/2 cup)
  • 1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 6.5 ounces Meyer Lemon Juice
  • 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 teaspoons Meyer Lemon Zest
  • Blood Orange Curd
  • 1 cup Blood Orange Juice, reduced to 1/2 cup
  • 5 Egg Yolks (or 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 Granulated Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Blood Orange Zest
  • 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Directions
  1. Meyer Lemon Curd
  2. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, beat the egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly blended. Add the Meyer lemon juice, butter, and salt, and stir well to combine.
  3. Continue stirring constantly and keep the mixture at a very gentle simmer. Do not allow the mixture to boil otherwise it may curdle. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until thickened. When thickened sufficiently, curd should thickly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
  4. Pour the curd through a fine-mesh strainer (optional step, to ensure smooth curd) and into a glass jar or other container. Use a wooden spoon to press the curd through the mesh. Stir in the lemon zest. Allow to cool, then cover and keep chilled in the refrigerator until needed.
  1. Blood Orange Curd
  2. Place 1 cup of fresh Blood Orange juice into a heat-proof cup, be sure to use a container than is at least twice the capacity as the juice (i.e. 2-cup measuring cup). Microwave for about 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the juice by half. Check periodically to be sure it dose not over-concentrate or boil over.
  3. In a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat, beat the egg yolks and sugar until thoroughly blended. Add the concentrated blood orange juice, butter, and salt, and stir well to combine.
  4. Continue stirring constantly and keep the mixture at a very gentle simmer. Do not allow the mixture to boil otherwise it may curdle. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until thickened. When thickened sufficiently, curd should thickly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
  5. Pour the curd through a strainer (optional step to ensure smooth curd) and directly into a glass storage container. Stir in the blood orange zest. Allow to cool, then cover and keep chilled in the refrigerator until needed.

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  • Charlotte Curtis
    Charlotte Curtis
  • Meflan
    Meflan

2 Reviews

Meflan April 28, 2019
So glad I stumbled on this- that tip about microwaving the orange juice first is genius. I didn't watch my first batch of juice closely enough in the microwave (I only looked to make sure the juice wasn't spilling out) and by the time I pulled it out at 10 minutes, it had reduced to about 1/4 cup. So, you might want to microwave at 2 minute intervals and actually check inside the bowl in case you have a strong microwave that will reduce it faster.
 
Charlotte C. January 25, 2017
Hello all, I hope you enjoyed these curd recipes! More photos and notes are posted at my blog: http://breadandbrushstrokes.com/blog/blood-orange-curd-meyer-lemon-curd