Cranberry & Citrus Curd
No berry says “the holidays” more than cranberries, but they’re tenacious little devils, which is why here we first make a compote, to soften and burst them, then use it as the fruit base for curd. If you want to add spice, feel free to throw in a star anise, a cinnamon stick, or some cloves.
Makes:
Around 3 cups
Ingredients
COMPOTE
- 1 1/3 cups (135g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/2 cup (120ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
CURD
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice
- compote from above
Preparation
- For the compote: Place the cranberries, ginger, zest, and juice in a heavy saucepan, cover, and gently cook over low heat until they swell and burst. Use the back of a spoon to help squish the berries to get as much juice from them as possible. Continue simmering for approximately 10 minutes but make sure you don’t let all the liquid evaporate. Remove from the heat.
- For the curd: Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, mixing until each is absorbed before adding the next. The mixture will begin to thicken.
- Add the lemon and orange juices and the cranberry compote, whisking until the curd thickens. This can take up to 10 minutes; the curd should reach 165°F when measured with a digital thermometer.
- Remove the curd from the heat and push through a strainer with the back of a spoon. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate before serving.