Blood Orange Curd

• Servings: Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Blood oranges, which came originally from Sicily, are loved for their blood-red pulp and sweet, tangy and complex flavor. Because of their vivid color, the juice makes this citrus curd a beautiful shade of pink.

This recipe makes enough to fill a single 8-inch tart shell, or four individual tart shells, or 8 mini shells to make mini-orange curd tarts.  It also can be used like lemon or lime curds -- spread on toast or biscuits, drizzled on angel food cake, mixed with plain yogurt, or served alongside fresh berries.

You can also use the egg whites that are left over from separating the yolks needed for the curd and make merangues which are a perfect foundation for fresh berries and a spoonful of the lemon curd.

Because blood oranges can be quite sweet, add the lesser amount of sugar first and then taste the juice before adding the full amount so to prevent making the curd too sweet which will mask the orange flavor.

Use a medium-heavy sauce pan that is non-reactive, which means it will have no reaction to the lemon juice's acid, such as cast iron.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 whole large egg
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed strained blood orange juice (2 to 3 oranges, depending on their size)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. In a small bowl and using a fork, gently mix together the egg yolks and whole egg. Strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan.
2. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Stir to combine and taste to see if the juice needs more sugar -- you want to have both sweet and tangy. If so, add the remaining 1/4 cup a tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. Add to the eggs in the saucepan.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a heatproof bowl and add the lemon zest and the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, stirring until all the butter has been added and melted into the zest.
5. Cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent the surface from developing a skin. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until ready to use.

All citrus curds can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to three days, or frozen for up to a year.