Quick Lemon Curd

This photo is a hint for the next recipe to come!

Why is this called curd?  I would like someone out there to tell me, because, by ingredients and method, it should rightly be called something waaaay more attractive, like, say, lemon custard.  Seriously.  Curd?  If you’ve ever spooned delicious, bright, lemony curd straight into your mouth from a pan or even a store-bought jar, I am not talking to you.  You are excused.  But, hey, you out there still reeling from the words lemon and curd together:  Come over here close and repeat after me:  “It is really lemon custard.  Fresh lemon CUSTARD.  And it only takes a few minutes to make.  I will try this!”  Let’s go.


Ingredients (Makes about 1 1/4 cups or 295ml)
2 small lemons
2 large eggs
Heaping 1/3 cup or 80g sugar
1/4 cup or 50g cold, unsalted butter
2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch


Method
Grate the zest off of your lemons and ignore the photo of me using my zester.  Even after I chopped the pieces with a big knife, the lemon zest was rather big and there were hurtful comments about same from my recipe testers.  Sniff.

Juice the lemons and strain out the seeds.

Cut your butter up into cubes and set aside, back in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, whisk together your lemon juice and eggs.

Add in the rest of your ingredients, except the butter.

Still whisking constantly, cook the mixture in a saucepan over a medium heat until it thickens.

Add in the butter and mix thoroughly, simmering for a further minute or two.  Your lemon curd, or custard, is now done!

Spoon it straight into your mouth (let it cool a little, silly) or await further instructions as I have two recipes coming up, starting Sunday, that will use that lovely lemon curd.  I mean, custard.  If you aren’t using it within a couple of hours, cover with cling film and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

This lemon curd can be used in a variety of ways. Here are the links to the recipes I mentioned above:

Hot Lemon Curd Soufflés

Citrus Lust Mini Bundt Cakes with Lemon Curd

Lemon curd recipe originally from Delia Smith's How to Cook Book 1.

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I've entered this lemon curd recipe in Tea Time Treats for January, where the theme is citrus.  The hosts are Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Kate from What Kate Bakes.  If you have a citrusy item to add, just click on Lavender and Lovage or the photo caption below.

Tea Time Treats Link

                                            

Lyn's Roast Pork and Potato with Feta

Through the news feed of Facebook, I know things on a daily basis that I would never otherwise know about my friends’ lives.  Some of these revelations are amusing, or touching, or informative.  And while I have heard arguments against the constant online chatter, saying that it stops us from interacting personally with people, I would like to make the opposite argument.  It has brought me closer to friends by the ability to share in their normal everyday lives, in a way that only neighbors or close friends would be able to share.  I give you a for instance:  My sister-in-law is a good cook.  Occasionally she posts what she is making for dinner and I get to enjoy that meal vicariously because she posts the ingredients and the family reactions.  Even her next-door neighbors probably don’t know what she is having for dinner as often as her Facebook friends do!  The other night, she mentioned her dinner plan, and, as luck would have it, I had all the main ingredients in my refrigerator so she also shared the recipe.  Aside from the addition of mushrooms and fewer tomatoes, this is her meal, a family favorite, by all accounts.  And we loved it!  Thanks, Lyn!  (And thanks, Facebook.)

1 large onion or 2 shallots

500g or a little more than 1 pound potatoes

Olive oil

4 x 90 g or 3 oz pork loin medallions

100g or 3 1/2 oz cherry tomatoes

200g or 7 oz button mushrooms

Handful fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs

100ml or a little more than 1/3 cup wine (should be white, but I only had red - didn't matter in the slightest)

100ml or a little more than 1/3 cup stock

100g or 3 1/2 oz feta, crumbled

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Sea salt

Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C or 430°F.

Season the pork with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice your potatoes and onions.  (If you have new potatoes, just give them a scrub and no need to peel.)

Cut smaller mushrooms in half and bigger ones in quarters.

Place the onion and potatoes slices in a roasting tin, pour over some olive oil and lots of salt and pepper, and then toss to coat.

Roast in the hot oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over high heat and brown the pork loin chops for a couple of minutes on each side.  Remove the pork to a plate.

Scatter the cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and thyme leaves over the potato and return to the oven for 10 minutes more.

Lay the pork on top and pour over the wine and stock.

Half stock, half wine. 

Roast further until the pork is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

Serve scattered with the feta, lemon zest and another good drizzle of olive oil.

 Enjoy!