Lemon curd (with a hint of clementine)

Last night I decided to make macarons, pink ones with a lemon filling. Now the macarons were a bit of a disaster (more to come on that soon) but the lemon curd filling was a triumph and I am now having to stop myself from nipping to the fridge every couple of minutes for a teaspoon full.

My finished lemon curd

I followed a basic recipe - below. But as I only had three unwaxed lemons I used a bit of artistic license and added in the juice and zest of a clementine as well. I think it worked.

You will need...

Makes just enough to fill two jam jars

Zest and juice of 3 unwaxed lemons and one clementine. (Be careful not to zest down to the white pith - that doesn't taste nice)
200g caster sugar
100g good quality butter (I went for an Italian one in Waitrose, unsalted)
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

Method

Place juice, zest, sugar and butter in a bowl that just hovers over some simmering water. Don't let the water boil or touch the bottom of the bowl or it will go all funny. Basically it's the same method you would use to melt chocolate. Stir ocasionally until the butter melts.

Whip up the eggs a bit in a seperate bowl - they don't need to be light and fluffy, just nicely mixed. Then once the butter has melted add the egg to the lemon mixture. Keep the bowl over the simmering pan but now make sure you stay close and whisk the mixture every minute or so (you don't want scrabbled egg curd). After about ten minutes the mix will get thicker and look a bit like a custard. At this point you can remove from the heat and leave to cool.

The all-important whisking part



In the meantime scrabble around in the cupboard for some jam jars - perhaps you have that bit of chutney you'll never use, or the apple sauce is looking its age, if so then empty them out and give them a good clean. Either sit in boiling

water or put a small amount of water in the jar (leave the lid off) and zap in the microwave, to get them spotlessly clean.

Once the curd has cooled you can decant it into the jars. A spoon and a steady hand or a funnel is all you'll need. And there you have it - pop in the fridge over night and you have lemon curd ready to use in no time.

I enjoyed mine on toast this morning and I imagine I will be all week. But that's just jar one, jar two is destined for bigger and better things - the filling for a rhubard cake, or used in a lemon meringue ice cream, or even, one day, as a filling for my macarons. Saying that though, it only lasts a few weeks in the fridge and I have a sneaky suspicion that it is going to take me longer than that to master the art of the French delicacy.

Lemon curd on toast - a morning delight