The first time I ever had lemon curd was also the first time I had a proper cup of tea.
My mother and I were in Victoria, British Columbia, for a long weekend. (It’s a quick trip from San Francisco).
We arrived by ferry at night and were welcomed with the sight of the beautiful and all lit up Empress Hotel. There she was sitting majestically at the cornerstone of the inner harbor.
Mom (or should I say “‘mum” ) was quite excited about having tea there, so I made reservations for the next afternoon. I am not a tea drinker, but when you are in a world-renowned tea room that has served royalty … you take tea.
The real treat was what was served WITH the tea. Delicious pastries, tea sandwiches and of course their scrumptious signature little scones with lemon curd.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest, finely grated
- Pinch salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
- Remove pan from heat, whisk in sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt. Whisk in yolks until smooth.
- Cook the mixture while whisking constantly until it thickens. Be careful not to let it boil.
- To test for the right consistency, dip a wooden spoon into curd, run your finger across the back of the spoon, it should leave a path.
- When it is thick, immediately pour through a strainer into a bowl (do not discard the bit in the strainer). Let cool at room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate. So, what can you do with that little bit left in the strainer? You’ll end up with about one tablespoon of flavorful zest. I stir 1/2 teaspoon into 4 ounces of hot water along with 1/2 teaspoon of orange blossom honey, creating a soothing and delicious hot beverage. You can also mix this strained goodness with some mascarpone and slather it on toast, biscuits or scones.
This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups and keeps for a month in the refrigerator, 3 months in the freezer.
Use this recipe with Lemon Blueberry Scones & Mascarpone Cream.
