Passion fruit curd with the flavor of sunshine
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Curd is a sweet-tart, thick, velvety spread or filling. It’s most commonly made with lemon, consisting of the fruit juice cooked with sugar, eggs and butter. It’s made with acidic fruits, as the acidity of the fruit interacts with the protein molecules in the egg to help it thicken and give it a custard-like consistency. Passion fruit is more acidic than lemon with an even more concentrated flavor, making for an ideal variation on the classic. Smear it on a scone or toast, use it in thumbprint cookies or spread it between layers of chocolate or pistachio cake. It’s also delicious swirled into a bowl of yogurt. If sunshine had a flavor, this would be it.
The challenge when cooking curd is to cook the eggs gently so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs. The secret: go slowly. This recipe calls for using a double boiler — or a makeshift double boiler, setting a heat-proof bowl or saucier over a pot of simmering water. With a double boiler, you are cooking with steam rather than direct heat, which prevents the eggs from cooking too quickly. If you’re feeling daring (or impatient), cook the curd in a pot directly over the heat, just note that it will cook much quicker and requires constant attention. If you do end up with a few bits of scrambled egg in your curd, pour it through a sieve to strain them out.
When life handed her a city mandate, Jenny Silbert of Little City Farm turned it into edible sunshine: a creamy, tart, ‘sunshine in your brain’ passion fruit curd.
Strain the pulp through a sieve into a medium bowl (or saucier). Reserve ½ cup of the seeds and discard the rest (or save them to plant or give away). Add the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt to the bowl with the pulp and whisk until smooth and combined, making sure no large bits of egg remain.
Pour enough water into a medium saucepan to fill it about 3 inches deep and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and set the bowl on the pan. Check to see that the water isn’t touching the bottom of the bowl; if it is, pour out a little water.
Put on some music or a podcast because you’re going to be in front of the stove for a little while.
Cook the curd for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and adjusting the heat as needed so the water maintains a simmer. Cook until the curd is thick enough to coat the spatula, and hold a clean line when drawn through it with a finger. (If the line fills back in, keep cooking.) Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the butter a few cubes at a time, until it is melted and combined. Take the bowl off the saucepan and stir in the reserved seeds.
Set four ½-pint-sized jars on your work surface and pour in the warm curd. Set aside to cool slightly, then close the jars while the curd is still warm. Cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator to chill. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 to 2 weeks. (You can also freeze the curd; for that it’s best stored in plastic containers.)
