Ruby grapefruit and vanilla curd

Summer wouldn’t be summer without tea in the garden. Think cucumber sandwiches, home-baked biscuits, a Victoria sponge oozing strawberry jam and, of course, feather-light scones. As a change from the usual lemon curd, try this grapefruit version – it’s attractively speckled with bright pink flecks of zest and drifts of vanilla seeds, and tastes delicious. You can also use it as a filling for cake, swirl it through cheesecakes or mix a little with fat-free yoghurt and serve over fresh grapefruit segments for a light and healthy pudding.

• Zest and juice of 1 ruby grapefruit
• 100g caster sugar
• 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (keep the pod to flavour sugar or vodka)
• 1 heaped tsp cornflour
• 50g butter, cut into pieces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a pan over a low heat, whisk together the grapefruit zest and juice, sugar, egg and vanilla. Keep whisking as the mixture heats – be patient and resist the urge to turn up the heat or you will end up with grapefruit-flavoured scrambled egg! Once the mixture begins to increase in volume, add the cornflour. Keep whisking until it is pale in colour and very thick, then beat in the cold butter and bottle in sterilised Cubo jars. Refrigerated, the curd will keep for a couple of weeks.