Rhubarb Curd Food

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CURD

Steps:

• Combine rhubarb, strawberries, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Pass mixture through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest holes. If you don't have a food mill, you can either puree the mixture with a food processor or immersion blender, or push it through a fine mesh strainer.
• Fill the bottom of a double-boiler with about 1 inch of water and bring water to a simmer. Combine the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in the top of the double-boiler and whisk together. Place over the bottom of the double-boiler and continue whisking until the sugar is dissolved.
• Slowly whisk in the strawberry-rhubarb puree and continue whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Add butter and whisk until smooth.
• Pour into a sterile jar, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

RHUBARB CURD

Steps:

• Place chopped rhubarb in a medium-sized saucepan. Add sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes.
• Pour rhubarb mixture into a mini food processor or blender; blend until smooth, 10 to 20 seconds. Reserve 1/3 cup and return remaining rhubarb mixture to saucepan over low heat.
• Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl. Slowly add reserved rhubarb mixture, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk egg-rhubarb mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking for 5 minutes, or until mixture is thickened and the curd coats the back of a metal spoon. Whisk in butter until melted and fully incorporated.
• Pour into a sterile jar and cool. Curd keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

RHUBARB & LEMON CURD CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter a deep, round 20cm cake tin and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment.
• Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then add the caster sugar and lemon zest and beat again. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture, beating well with each addition, until fully combined. The mixture will begin to look glossy - if at any stage the mixture curdles, beat in a spoonful of ground almonds and continue to add the egg until it is all amalgamated.
• Stir in the ground almonds, then the flour, and fold everything carefully together using a large spoon. Fold through half the rhubarb, then transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tin and scatter with the remaining rhubarb. Finish with the demerara sugar sprinkled on top. Bake the cake for 45 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. (This may take up to 30 mins longer depending on how much liquid the rhubarb releases.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly in the tin, then remove from the tin. When the cake is cold, make the topping.
• Whip the cream in a large bowl until it forms soft peaks. In a small bowl, loosen the lemon curd with about 1 tbsp water and carefully fold it through the cream, without overworking. Spread over the cake, drizzle with a little more lemon curd and serve immediately.