Grapefruit Curd

The lemon curd we made a few months ago was such a hit that I’ve been thinking for awhile about trying it again with a different type of citrus. Pink grapefruit is perfectly complex & delicious in a curd.  Especially when served in little glasses, topped with crème anglaise.

The final product is a little sweet, a little sour, and a little bitter.  We added the grapefruit zest, which played up the bitter note.  When the tiny cups were topped with dollops of rich, vanilla crème the dessert was complete.

The effort required here is really quite minimal. Especially when I figured out that you could get the 1/2 cup of fresh juice you need without a juicer – only brute strength and (optionally) popping tendons. Don’t mind those, please.

Slow, low heat and constant stirring are the main things to keep in mind.

I love the simplicity of this one. No crusts to fuss with or icing to pipe – just pretty colors layered in cute glasses and served simply.

I love the specks of vanilla bean in the top crème layer.  The pink of the fresh grapefruit juice is counteracted somewhat by the bright yellow of fresh egg yolks to make a pale coral color.

Grapefruit Curd

• 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (little less than one grapefruit)
• about 1 Tbsp grapefruit zest
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 6 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes

Combine the eggs, milk, and sugar and stir until just mixed.  Pour in the juice and zest, then plop in the small pieces of cubed butter.  Heat everything over low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.  Do not boil or the eggs will curdle – so just keep the heat low, be patient, and stir a lot.  I’d say it took me about 15 minutes of low heat and stirring to reach a thick spoon coating consistency.
When thick, pour through a strainer to catch any errant egg curdles (I had a few, no big deal), cover, and refrigerate.  I poured mine directly into a large liquid measuring cup, then portioned it into six individual dessert glasses right away.  I refrigerated the glasses for an hour or so to let them firm up before topping them with a layer of crème anglaise.  Recipe for that is here!