This tangy-sweet yuzu curd makes a delicious exotic spread for breakfast or afternoon tea and is perfect for tart fillings and desserts.
Making your own lemon curd is fairly easy and with some practice, it can be pretty quick too. The recipe makes about 350g (0.8lb) of this classic British lemon spread and filled up in jars, it makes for a beautiful gift.
While we love our passionfruit & lemon curd recipe and use our lemon myrtle curd recipe for tarts, this yuzu juice version has now become our favourite!
Yuzu has a unique flavour and somewhat tastes like mandarin, lemon and lime all in one.
This flavour is what makes the yuzu curd so special and while I recommend spreading the curd on a slice of brioche, I do not hesitate pairing the yuzu curd with seafood and sashimi grade fish!
Jump to:
what is lemon curd?
A lemon curd is a thick, rich and creamy spread. The basic ingredients are sugar and the zest and juice from a citrus fruit, usually bound with eggs and finished with butter.
what is yuzu?
Yuzu is a citrus fruit of East Asian origin. It is yellow in colour and the size of a tangerine. Due to it's extreme sourness, it is mostly used for flavouring in Japanese and Korean cooking.
Yuzu has become a fashion in recent years and can be found on restaurant menus mainly in desserts, dressings or in cocktails. The fruit itself is rare to find outside of Asia but the juice can be bought in Asian supermarkets or speciality stores.
ingredients needed
Yuzu juice we use yuzu juice and lemon juice in the recipe. You can play with the balance and add more yuzu juice if you want a more tardy curd.
Lemon as with a traditional curd we use the zest and the juice of the lemon.
Eggs are the main ingredient binding the curd, use fresh preferably organic eggs.
Sugar and Butter use caster sugar for the recipe and unsalted butter. The butter should be cold before adding to the curd.
how to make it
Yuzu curd does not take long to make but once you are in the process of making it, don't walk away as you will risk curdling the eggs.
Hence, my advice is to have all ingredients ready and prepared before you start working on the recipe.
beforehand
Add 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks to a wide pot/pan. Choose a pot with a heavy bottom as they have a thicker base and tend to burn less than a thin bottom pot.
Now, add the sugar to the eggs and then pour the yuzu juice.
Next grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze out the juice over the mixture.
cooking the curd
Whisk all ingredients in the pot until thoroughly combined then place on the stove on low heat.
It might seem to take a while until the curd starts to thicken but unless you are an experienced cook, I recommend to start with less heat.
Whisk the curd constantly while you bring the mixture to a simmer to make sure it cooks evenly.
how do you know the curd is ready
The curd will take somewhere between 8-12 minutes to start thickening. It will seem long but don't be tempted to increase the heat.
Do a test by running a spoon through the curd, it should coat the back of the spoon.
Also, keep in mind that the lemon curd will thicken more when it has cooled down.
finishing the curd
The moment you see the yuzu curd thickening, remove the pan from the stove or switch off the flame. Start adding the butter. Add 1-2 cubes at a time and continue whisking before adding more.
Once you have added all the butter, bring the curd back to a simmering point on low heat and set aside.
Now, strain the curd through a fine sieve and its ready to be poured into jars or ramekins.
Leave it in the fridge to cool down. Cover the jar once the curd has cooled.
FAQ's
Lemon curd can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to label your curd container so you always know the production date. By the way, the curd tastes better when it has been kept for a couple days in the fridge.
Yes you can. Though It is unlikely you will have any leftovers after 2 weeks! But if you do, then freezing is a good idea! Freeze the curd in a tight-sealed container for up to 6 months. To use from frozen, thaw the curd in the fridge overnight before using it.
Unless the texture has completely changed and the curd has separated, it is hard to tell if lemon curd has gone bad from just looking at it. So I strongly recommend using the sniff and taste method to determine if anything has changed from the time you originally made it.
yuzu curd uses
Yuzu curd has many uses, especially popular in desserts such as:
- a bombe alaska
- a frozen dessert like semifreddo (replace lemon curd with yuzu curd)
- a yuzu meringue pie
or you can also use it as a condiment and serve with:
- clotted cream and scones for afternoon tea
- with raw fish like this hamachi crudo
- brioche or freshly baked bread and butter for a delicious breakfast
- strawberries and whipped cream for a fancy snack
And if you are a fan of yuzu as much as we are, then you have to try our yuzu posset recipe next - a stunning dessert prepared in a glass, ideal for dinner parties!
When you give this curd a go, we would love to know what you thought of it!
Yuzu Curd
Equipment
- pot
- strainer
- whisk
Ingredients
- 200 gram caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 30 millilitre yuzu juice
- 1 medium lemon for zest & juice
- 115 gram unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
Instructions
- In a pot combine the eggs, sugar and yuzu juice. Grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze the juice of the lemon over the mixture.
- Whisk well to combine.
- Now place the pot on the stove on low heat while constantly stirring the mixture.
- Slowly bring to a simmer and immediately remove the pot from the heat. You want the curd to thicken but not boil otherwise the eggs will start to scramble.
- Add the butter cubes one by one and incorporate into the curd with a whisk.
- Place the pot back on the stove and bring the curd slowly back to simmering point while whisking. Set aside
- Lastly, strain through a sieve while still warm and pour into glass jars or ramekins.
- Leave in the fridge to cool. Cover with a lid once cooled.
Sven
Another great curd recipe, thanks guys!
Shilpi & Etienne
Thank you, I believe you have tried our lemon myrtle curd and passionfruit curd recipe already. The yuzu curd is delicious too!