Tangy & Delicious Limequat Curd

Remember these little "mystery" fruit I posted recently? They are limequats, a cross between limes and kumquats, I found at the farmer's market. They originated in China and are now grown in several countries, including the US. (These were grown on the Big Island of Hawaii).

Limequats are small, about the size of a kumquat and have a thin, sweet tasting skin and a pulp that is very similar to limes, somewhat sour and bittersweet. They can be used like any citrus and have a good amount of Vitamin C. (They are shown below with a lime so you can see their size).

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the dozen or so that I bought, but after some thought, decided to make Limequat Curd. I have made my own curd twice before; once using lilikoi or passion fruit (here) and then a lemon curd that I recently made in a cooking class on sauces. I ended up adapting the recipe from class as it requires less egg and sugar than the recipe I used for the lilikoi curd.

Limequat Curd (Or Any Citrus Curd)

Adapted from a recipe from Chef Laura Gershuni

(Makes approximately 2 cups)

3 large eggs

2/3 cup limequat juice (or other citrus juice)

2 Tbsp limequat zest (or other citrus zest)

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

pinch salt

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent curdling, until the mixture becomes thick, (about 10 minutes). 

Remove from heat. Whisk butter pieces into the mixture, one at a time until the butter has melted. Mix in zest and a pinch of salt. Cover immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a "skin" from forming and refrigerate. (The curd will continue to thicken as it cools). 

Notes/Results: Tangy and delicious, it tastes like a cross between lemon curd and lime curd. Thick, buttery and not exactly healthy, it makes a nice little occasional treat on a English muffin, a scone or a bread. I paired it with a delicious lightly lemony vegan tea bread that I will post on Monday, because it is good enough that it deserves it's own post. This is a keeper recipe that I plan to explore with other fruits.