Lemon Curd (Week 8 -- the week of lemon-overload)

While swapping recipes with a new friend (one who actually LIKES wild game and is willing to tackle it in the kitchen), I was sent a great new recipe for lemon curd.  Thanks Anita!  I am probably going to make nonettes and use this as filling.  Nonette recipe to follow (they are little muffin-like gingerbread flavored cakes that we stumbled upon while in Dijon).  Enjoy!!

Lemon Curd

Gayles Recipe

• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 TBL unsalted (sweet) butter
• 2 TBL grated lemon zest

Anita’s variation

• 4 eggs
• 1 ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2-3 TBL sweet butter
• ½  (or 1 cup, if  you like it sweeter) sugar

Whisk tog eggs & sugar until smooth. Add lemon juice & cook over medium heat (in heavy saucepan or double boiler) until mixture resembles lightly whipped cream or a soft custard

Chill and use within 3-4 days. Freezes well.  If you use the grated lemon zest it is nice to strain it out for a perfectly creamy sauce. Use more sugar if you like sweet curd and less for a more tart taste. You can choose to use whole eggs or just egg yolks depending on whether you want the egg whites for another use. I haven’t noticed a difference but have never compared to two versions side by side.  I try to maximize the amount of lemon juice the eggs will support, which is why Anita’s version has so much more lemon juice. At 1 ½ cup lemon juice the curd seems close to ‘breaking’ (separating). I have decided as of 3/11 that 1 ¼ cup juice is probably perfect. If the curd does separate on you, try rescuing it: whisk up one more egg and slowly whisk in the curdled sauce same as rescuing a curdled hollandaise or mayonnaise. This should work (although I have never tried it.) 13 Meyer lemons for one recipe (2 ¼ cups juice)

Nonettes

This is a "re-print" copy and this the best recipe I have found - not my personal one but it is VERY close to authentic!...hats of to the blogger at 64 sq. ft. Kitchen

-5.82 oz all purpose unbleached flour
-1.60 oz light brown sugar
-2 oz honey (you can go until 4 oz)
-1/2 cup fresh orange juice
-3 tbsp butter
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 star anise
-1/4 cinnamon stick
-1 tbsp candied orange rinds roughly chopped
-1/2 tsp ground cardamom
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/4 tsp ground ginger
-Pinch of ground cloves
-Pinch of salt
-Orange marmalade or jelly (1/2 tsp for each baking cup)

In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking soda, salt and the ground spices. Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the butter with the orange juice, the cinnamon stick, the star anise and the orange rinds. Once the butter melts and the liquid reaches a boiling stage, remove the saucepan from the stove, discard the cinnamon stick and star anise and pour the liquid over the dry ingredients while whisking vigorously, until all gets blended. Let it cool a little bit, then spoon the batter into mini-muffin cups or standard muffin cups. Top each cup with the orange marmalade and press gently. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 12-14 min in mini-muffin cups and for 15-18 min in a standard muffin cups. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container and serve until the following day. Your patience will be rewarded.