Mandarin Curd

This time of year the fruit choices start to narrow. What we have in abundance, especially here in Morocco, is oranges. Morocco is almost never short on this citrus, and it is difficult to find an orange that isn’t sweet and tart, full of juice. Naturally, I look for ways to take advantage of this beyond just peeling and eating the bounty. Keep an eye out for more orange recipes in the near future.

“Mandarin” is how Moroccans differentiate the smaller, easy-peel relative. These guys have a shorter period of availability, starting at the end of November and ending in February. They make for a great twist on the traditional lemon curd. The curd can be used as a spread on toast, over pancakes, as a tart filling, or, as I used it this week, as cupcake filling.

After looking through several recipes, I came up with one using what I had (which included 3 leftover egg yolks). The egg yolks make for a richer curd, but you could probably substitute 2 of the egg yolks for another whole egg.



Mandarin Curd
Makes 1 small jar

Juice and zest of 4 mandarin oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 T butter, cut into pieces

Add the zest and the juice of oranges and lemon in a medium pan with sugar, egg, and egg yolks. Whisk to combine. Cook on low heat, constantly stirring with a spoon, until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Add butter and stir until incorporated. Pour curd into a sterilized jar and seal. Store in refrigerator up to two weeks.