Homemade Lemon Curd with Buttermilk Crumpets by Bob Dickinson

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 5 medium unwaxed lemons
• 280g (1 1/3 cups) caster sugar
• 230g (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (reserved from making butter)
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Make the Lemon Curd: Finely zest all 5 lemons and set aside. Juice the lemons, then strain the juice to remove seeds.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk the 4 large eggs lightly.
3. Add the caster sugar, cubed butter, lemon zest, and strained lemon juice to the saucepan with the eggs.
4. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts completely.
5. Continue whisking gently for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (around 77°C/170°F if using a thermometer). Do not let the mixture boil, as it may split.
6. Once thickened, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any zest or seeds. Set aside to cool.
7. Make the Crumpets: In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, active dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Stir and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes until frothy.
8. Add the remaining flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir until just combined into a thick batter. Cover the bowl and let it ferment in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
9. Lightly grease a griddle or non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-low heat. Alternatively, use crumpet rings.
10. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter per crumpet onto the hot surface or into the rings. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on the first side, until bubbles form on the surface and the edges look set.
11. Carefully flip the crumpets and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
12. Serve the warm crumpets immediately with the prepared lemon curd.