Magical Lemon Curd

Lemons are the most versatile ingredient in the kitchen.  I use it for almost every recipe I make whether it be savory or sweet. If a dish is bland, I add some fresh lemon juice and all of a sudden "wow"! Too sweet, add some lemon juice. Too greasy tasting, add some lemon juice. Make my pancakes taste extra yummy and moist, add some lemon juice. Ensure I don't get scurvy (honestly, I don't even know what that is!), have some lemons. It really is the magic ingredient for so many things.

But the best way to use lemons is in a lemon curd.  Traditionally an English condiment, it is typically used for afternoon tea to top scones and bread in replacement of jam.  Sweet and sour, it is mouth puckeringly good.  There are so many various ways of using lemon curd, whether it is on top of your morning pancakes, lemon bars, cheesecake, a glaze for lemon chicken or simply spread lavishly on a slice of crusty toast. It was pretty good just by the spoonful.

Here, I used it swirled into some Greek yogurt topped with sweet summer berries.  Later on this week, it will share the spotlight in a special birthday cake I am creating to celebrate my friend's 30th birthday in the Hamptons. Make sure to check back next week for that!

The gorgeous intense yellow color of the lemon curd is a welcome addition to any dining table or perhaps in a hostess gift basket.  Once you learn the base recipe, you can easily substitute the lemons with grapefruit or blood orange.  This can easily be made a few days ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

MAGICAL LEMON CURD

Makes 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp lemon zest (roughly 2 lemons)

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

Pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

DIRECTIONS

1.  Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, eggs and pinch of salt in a large saucepan over low.  Add butter and mix together, whisking constantly to prevent eggs from curdling.  

2.  Continue whisking until consistency is thick and easily coats the back of a spoon.  This process should take 20-25 minutes. Be patient! It will thicken further once refrigerated.

3.  If curd has bits of egg or lumps in mixture, strain before reserving it in a resealable container.  That was unnecessary for mine. Place saran wrap or parchment paper on top of the curd to avoid a layer of skin to form when cooling. 

4.  Refrigerate until ready to use for whatever you please. 

*Adapted from Gourmet, April 2011

Father's Day Veal Osso Bucco with Gremolata

Sometimes it feels like one revolving holiday after another.  And Father's Day has somehow snuck upon us this coming weekend.  So all you daddy's girls cooking for your father this weekend, forget the barbecue and try my rich veal osso bucco with a refreshing gremolata!  Gremolata is usually nothing more than a topping of garlic, lemon, herbs and olive oil. Here, it is enlivened even more with the addition of lavender in the gremolata and to braise the veal.  The subtle floral aroma brightens the dish from a hearty winter dish to a special summer entrée.

My dad is a meat and rice kind of guy.  He loves his steak, pork belly and lamb.  He's usually pretty easy to please if you have any of those items on the plate.

Originally, we headed to Costco to pick up some steak to throw on the grill.  But that immediately changed when his eyes fell on these gorgeous veal shanks.

When I think of veal shanks, I immediately think osso  bucco.  Braised for several hours on the stove with tender, fall off the bone meat, it is an over-the-top dish that will make your dad (and diners!) salivate when you bring it to the dining table. Once you put it on the stove, just let it simmer on low and let it go and have a glass (or two) of wine while you wait for it to finish.

I love the citrusy-garlic of the gremolata which adds a bit of bite and wakens up all of your taste buds. The heat from the piping hot osso bucco releases all of the lovely ingredients in the gremolata.  Who needs to go to a restaurant when you have this osso bucco bubbling away at home? I served my osso bucco over some creamy mashed potatoes with some crispy, oven baked asparagus.  The reduced red wine broth the shanks cook in gets a deep, complex flavor from the long simmer on the stove and thickens slightly from the flour on the veal to create a tasty gravy to sop everything up.  With a bottle of red wine (or be a rebel and drink a crisp bottle of Sauvignon Blanc!), it is the perfect Father's Day meal.  I know my dad finished off his plate.  And even better, the dog got in on it too with the leftover shanks.

VEAL OSSO BUCCO WITH GREMOLATA

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
6 veal shanks, bone-in
4 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp dried lavender
3 medium size vine grown tomatoes, roughly diced
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine (used Shiraz Cabernet)
1 bay leaf
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground mixed peppercorns to taste

For gremolata:
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
Zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 tsp dried lavender, crushed
1/2 tsp Maldon or flaky sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
1.  In a large braising pan, warm oil over high heat.  In a medium bowl, mix together flour and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Add shanks into flour mixture and then shake off excess flour. Carefully place shanks into the braising pan and brown for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and reserve on a plate.

2.  Lower heat to medium-high and add garlic, lavender, tomatoes, celery and carrots.  Stir together until light golden brown. Do not let the garlic burn! Add tomato paste, broth, wine and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add shanks back into the broth mixture and lower heat to low.  Cover and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.  The meat should start pulling away from the bones.

3.  For gremolata, place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together.  Reserve in refrigerator until ready to use.

4.  Add lemon zest to veal, season with salt and pepper if needed and continue braising for another 20-25 minutes.  Remove from heat. For a more home-style approach, serve it at the table in the braising pan.  Otherwise, serve the osso bucco in a large platter on top of mashed potatoes and top with broth/gravy and gremolata.