Barbara Kafkas Lemon Curd Food

CHEF JOHN'S LIGHTER LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Place a saucepan containing several inches of water over medium heat and bring water to a simmer.
• Place eggs into a metal mixing bowl and add sugar and lemon juice. Place bowl over pan containing simmering water and whisk continuously until mixture foams and becomes thick, hot, and smooth, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat; whisk in lemon zest and unsalted butter. Continue whisking constantly until butter melts and incorporates into the lemon curd. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd. Refrigerate until chilled and lemon curd has set up, at least 1 hour. Stir before serving.

LEMON-ORANGE MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make lemon curd and place in the refrigerator to chill while finishing recipe.
• To make the crust, sift together flour and salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add lard and butter and mix with a paddle until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water and mix only until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Roll out pastry or press it into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Line with baking parchment or aluminum foil and weight with beans or pie weights. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Preheat conventional oven to 425 degrees.
• Place crust in oven and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set. Remove beans and parchment and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
• Place the marmalade in a small ceramic ramekin. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power in the microwave oven for 30 seconds. With a pastry brush, brush marmalade on the hot crust, covering it evenly. Set crust aside to cool.
• Peel and section juice oranges, if using them. Place sections on paper toweling to absorb juice. Preheat broiler.
• To assemble pie, place orange sections over the bottom of the crust. Spread chilled lemon curd over orange sections. Place in the refrigerator while making meringue.
• Preheat the broiler
• Place egg whites in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time and beat until shiny and soft peaks form.
• Spread meringue over lemon curd. Make sure the meringue covers the curd. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky when lightly pressed with a finger. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

BARBARA KAFKA'S LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Place butter, sugar, lemon juice and zests in an 8-cup glass measure or a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish. Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at 100 percent power in a 650- to 700-watt oven for 4 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Whisk together eggs in a small bowl. Whisk about 1/4 cup of the butter mixture into the eggs to warm them. Scrape egg mixture back into measure, whisking constantly. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes.
• Leaving dish in oven, whisk until smooth. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes more. Remove from oven and puree in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

LEMON CURD

Steps:

• In a heavy medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter.
• Remove pan from heat & add sugar, lemon juice, zest & salt, whisking to blend. Finally, whisk in yolks until smooth.
• Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens & leaves a path on the back of a wooden spoon when a finger is drawn across it ~ DO NOT ALLOW THE MIXTURE TO BOIL.
• Immediately pour the lemon curd through a strainer into a bowl, then let it cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
• Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve ~ It will keep in the frig for a month & in the freezer for about three times that long!
• Serve it with satisfaction on toast or scones, in tarts or as a topping for fresh fruit, gingerbread, pound cake, cheesecake or . . . !

LEMON CURD FILLING

Steps:

• In a non-reactive saucepan, whisk yolk and sugar until well combined.
• Add remaining ingredients except lemon zest.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly (Do not whisk), until thickened and you see the first bubble.
• DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.
• Pour through strainer, stir in zest.
• chill in refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed on top of curd to prevent skin forming.