Lemon or Passionfruit Curd

Written By Greg ODea

3 egg yolks
1 egg
3/4 cup caster sugar
juice and zest of 3 medium lemons
3 tbs double cream
110g unsalted butter, diced

Place eggs, zest, juice, sugar and cream in a heatproof bowl that is large enough to sit over a medium saucepan.

Whisk until combined.

Place the bowl over the saucepan filled with 2-3 cm of water. Turn the heat to medium and whisk constantly, until the mixture thickens. This will take between 10 and 15 minutes approximately or when mixture reaches 75 degrees celsius. When ready, the mixture should coat the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat and strain using a clean sieve.

Add butter to the curd, one or two dice at a time and whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and combined.

Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until needed. Make sure you serve very cold if you are using the meringue variant.

This curd also freezes well in a snap lock bag in the freezer. Thaw and whisk the mixture to make it smooth.

VARIANT 1: Lemon-Passionfruit Curd

Change: Replace 2 lemons with pulp from 2 passionfruit

  • Use: Pulp from 2 passionfruit + juice and zest of 1 lemon

  • All other ingredients and method remain the same

VARIANT 2: Tart Passionfruit Curd

Change: Use more lemon juice for extra tartness

  • Use: Pulp from 2 passionfruit + juice and zest of 2 lemons

  • All other ingredients and method remain the same

VARIANT 3: Mango Curd

Change: Replace citrus with mango and reduced lemon

  • Use: 2 small sweet mangoes (diced and pureed) + juice and zest of 1 lemon

  • All other ingredients and method remain the same

VARIANT 4: Orange or Lime Curd

Change: Substitute different citrus

  • For Orange: Use 2 oranges (instead of 3 lemons) + reduce sugar to 1/2 cup + add 1/4 teaspoon citric acid

  • For Lime: Use juice and zest of 4-5 limes (instead of 3 lemons)

  • All other ingredients and method remain the same

Serving Suggestions

  • Line pastry cases with a thin layer of white or dark chocolate before filling

  • This curd also freezes well in a snap lock bag in the freezer. Thaw and whisk the mixture to make it smooth.

  • Top with meringue (ensure curd is very cold before adding meringue)

  • If curd is too tart, stir in extra double cream to taste

Greg ODea
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