This super easy blood orange curd is tart and sweet, coming together in just 10 minutes on the stove (no double boiler). Use it to sandwich in pavlovas, cupcakes, crepes, cakes, or anything else!
Optional: a TINY pinch of salt and a tiny bit of lemon juice
Instructions
Add the sugar and egg to a small saucepan and whisk together until smooth. Then add the blood orange juice and zest, and turn the stove on medium heat. I find that just the tiniest bit of salt and a tiny bit of lemon juice bring something just a bit EXTRA to this as well.
Whisk continuously. The mixture will become frothy as you whisk. When the liquid becomes hot enough to cook the egg, the mixture will begin to thicken and no more liquid will separate from the foam.
It will take at least 5 minutes of whisking over medium heat for the mixture to thicken, but will vary depending on your cookware. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up too high.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add one tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking until each has fully melted into the sauce before adding the next. As the butter is melted into the sauce, it will become less frothy and more silky in texture, and look more glossy rather than foamy.
Once all of the butter has been whisked in, transfer the curd to an air-tight container and refrigerate until completely cooled. The curd will thicken further upon cooling.
Notes
Don't use aluminum cookware, as it will react with the citrus juice
It helps to stir together the sugar and egg first, before adding the lemon juice and then putting it on the heat...the acidity can "cook" the egg a bit, causing those tiny bits of white cooked egg that need sieved out.
You definitely want to use fresh blood orange juice for this. If you want it to look a darker orange/pink, you can add a TINY bit of gel food coloring (I didn't bother)