HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
In praise of winter citrus
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
It may seem counterintuitive, but winter is
the pinnacle of citrus season.
Around Christmas, satsumas, blood
oranges, kumquats and Meyer lemons start
to appear at grocery stores. They are accom-
panied by rarer varieties including Makrut
limes, Cara Cara oranges and the “I have
no clue, but it is pretty” tentacled Buddha’s
hands.
I regularly praise the hearty and sustain-
ing brown food of winter. I’m known in some
circles as brown food’s biggest fan. But even
I eagerly anticipate winter citrus piercing the
home cooking horizon.
Citrus season is nature’s way of sending
out a rescue team to remind us that s pring is
coming and that bright, zingy and enlivening
fl avors are arriving. I actually experienced
happy tears once at Tartine Bakery in San
Francisco when I took a bracingly sharp bite
of a lemon bar on a gloomy and chilly winter
day. The healing power of food is real.
My favorite winter citrus is a Meyer
lemon. While named for Frank Meyer, a 20th
century agricultural explorer, Meyer lem-
ons originated in China. They are believed
to be a cross between a regular lemon and a
mandarin orange. The fruit is about the size
of a lemon with a smooth, deep yellow peel.
Meyer lemons have a sweet and fl oral taste.
They’re lower in acid and lack the bitterness
of a regular lemon. If people were lemons,
unfortunately I would not be a Meyer.
Let winter citrus be the bright sun that’s
missing from our overcast wintery sky.
Meyer Lemon Curd
Yields 1.5 cups
Slightly adapted from Alice Medrich
While I use Meyer lemons, you can use
regular lemons, or even blood oranges for
this recipe. Spoon the chilled curd on ice
cream, on buttery toast, layered in a yogurt
parfait, or eat it by the spoonful, I won’t
judge.
• Three large eggs
• Zest of 1 medium Meyer lemon
• 1/2 cup strained fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Set a strainer over a medium heat-proof bowl.
Brian Medford
Winter citrus helps remind us spring is not far away.
Whisk the eggs in a nonreactive saucepan
to blend. Whisk in the Meyer lemon zest, juice
and sugar. Add the butter. Whisk over medium
heat, reaching into the corners and scraping
the sides and bottom of the pan, until the but-
ter melts and the mixture starts to thicken,
about 2 to 3 minutes. When the mixture begins
to simmer around the edges, continue to whisk
for about 10 seconds longer. Do not let the
mixture boil (it will scramble the eggs.)
Remove from the heat and scrape the mix-
ture into the strainer, pressing gently on the
solids. Scrape any lemon curd clinging to the
underside of the strainer into the bowl. Mix in
a pinch of kosher salt to fi nish.
Refrigerate until chilled before using.
Lemon curd keeps in a covered container in
the refrigerator for up to one week.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild
Biscuits and Bakes in Astoria. He teaches
cooking classes at The Pantry in Seattle.
Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.
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