Strawberry Rhubarb Curd

Rhubarb is in season again! After using them for the first time in Apple Rhubarb Crumble Tart last year, I knew I have to make more yum yum with it this year.

Remember I mentioned how tart they are when eaten raw, that gave me an idea to try and make them into a curd. Lemon curd has been made popular again the past few years, so why not a rhubarb curd?

My first attempt at rhubarb curd didn't match my expectations. Perhaps some of its tartness was lost during cooking, the curd didn't turn up as sour as I wanted. The curd also lost the lovely pink hue I was after. To "correct" the colour issue, I decided to add in some deliciously sweet strawberries, which happens to be in season too.

Strawberry Rhubarb Curd (makes about 350g)

220g     Rhubarb, trimmed, diced
  80g     Strawberries, hulled, diced

  30g     Sugar (adjust to taste)
  40g     Lemon juice (adjust to taste)

    6    Egg yolks for a thick, rich, eggy curd
  Or 3 Eggs, 2 egg yolks for a rich curd, not too eggy
  Or 4 Eggs for a least eggy curd, easily accepted by everyone

  50g     Butter, unsalted

1. Cook rhubarb and strawberries till the fruits have broken down and have released their juices. Push the mixture through a sieve.

2. In a saucepan, whisk to combine the egg yolks (or whichever egg combination you chose) and sugar. Dissolve most of the sugar.

3. Stir in the strawberries rhubarb mixture and lemon juice, whisk to combine.

4. Cook mixture over Medium-Low heat, stirring constantly, taking care NOT to let the mixture boil. If the mixture seems too hot, remove from heat and continue to stir before putting it back on.

4.The mixture will starts to thicken after about 5mins. When done, it will coat the back of a spoon and is viscous enough to stay on when you swipe your finger across. Push the curd through a sieve and discard (any) lumps.

5. Stir in the butter until curd is smooth and glossy.

6. Transfer to an airtight container or a clean bowl and cover with cling wrap to prevent a skin from forming. The curd will continue to thicken slightly as it cools. Cool to room temperature and chill.

Thoughts: I don't know about you, but I am loving that lovely colour! All thanks to the gorgeous strawberries. And because of its addition, the curd is perfumed with a sweet, berry fragrance. That's killing 2 birds with 1 stone for me. But of course, if you prefer less of a "strawberry" curd, you can always reduce or omit the strawberries, and replace with rhubarb accordingly. The colour of the curd will definitely take a hit; it will turn up more yellowish than you would expect it to be pink. Although if you're fortunate enough to have use rhubarb with more red pigments, the curd might have a light pinkish hue to it. Otherwise, you may choose to compensate with a less natural option by adding a few drops of red food colouring.

As with all fruits (and vegetables, for rhubarb's sake), it is difficult to determine how "sweet" or "tart" the produce is. So the amount of sugar and lemon juice in the recipe should be used as a guide and adjusted accordingly to the produce and your preference.

Strawberry rhubarb curd may be used in all applications applicable to that of lemon curd. A strawberry rhubarb meringue pie served with fresh strawberries should be lovely. Or sandwiched between 2 pieces of macaron shells to satisfy that little sweet tooth. Perhaps let it shine in all its glory, like its lemon counterpart, by serving it with scones during tea.

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