Rhubarb Curd (Microwave or Stovetop)
This silky rhubarb curd is tangy and smooth, coral pink in color and the perfect topping for toast, pancakes, yogurt and more! It’s the cousin of lemon curd but the difference here is that rhubarb doesn’t give us juice to use the way that lemons do. Instead you cook it down (in this recipe it’s roasted), then puree it until smooth. There are two methods on how to turn it into curd, one in the microwave and the other over a hot water bath on the stove.
About this rhubarb curd
There are a couple of reasons I prefer to roast the rhubarb to soften it, as opposed to simmering it in a pot on the stove. Firstly, it’s so easy because it’s hands-off. On the stove you would need to keep stirring it to stop it sticking. And secondly, it tastes better because you add barely any liquid (just a tablespoon of water), and so the rhubarb collapses and softens in its own juices and all that concentrated flavor gets added into the curd.
Note: The color of the curd will depend on the color of your rhubarb stalks. Deep red stalks have the best color and they are what I have used and will give you this coral pink color. If your stalks are more green the curd will browner. You can add some extra color to your curd with a natural food color, or add a handful of raspberries to the roasting dish.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 350°F /180°C. Trim the leaves off your rhubarb and cut the stalks into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add the rhubarb to a small roasting dish along with a little water and sugar.
- Roast until soft and juicy and the pieces collapse if you press down on them.
- Blend the rhubarb smooth with an immersion blender and let it cool down.
- Add to a bowl along with eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and salt.
Microwave method
- Whisk everything together until well combined. It will be a thick-ish (definitely more so than uncooked lemon curd) but runny.
- Microwave for around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes, in 40 second intervals stirring each time. The curd should thicken up and drop off the spatula in thick blobs.
Note: How long it takes to cook will depend on the wattage of your microwave and lower wattage ones will take more time.
- Stir through the cold butter a piece at a time until emulsified. Push the finished curd through a seive to remove any cooked bits of eggs and the rhubarb fibres.
- Let it cool, then place in the refrigerator until fully chilled. It will thicken more as it cools.
Stove top method
You can make this on the stove in a double boiler too. Whisk everything except for the butter in a heat proof bowl and place it over a pan of barely simmering water. Take care that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir it constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides, for around 15 minutes until the curd thickens up. After that, add the butter and seive it smooth.
Notes
- This curd makes a soft and spoonable mixture, not a thick and sliceable one (that you might use for a tart).
- Frozen rhubarb works too, don’t add the tablespoon of extra water and roast an extra 5 minutes.
- If it feels very thin, chill it first because curd does thicken a lot more when cold. If it’s still too thin it may not have cooked long enough. Place it back in the microwave or over a water bath until thickened and the temperature is around 175°F/80°C.
Serving and storing
Here are some ways to use it:
- Spoon it into meringue nests and serve with whipped cream, or in an Eton mess
- Add it between cake layers or roll it in a cake roll.
- My fave is to eat it on toast!
- Dollop on pancakes
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months. It stays scoopable even when frozen, so you can grab what you need.
Rhubarb Curd
Ingredients
Roasted rhubarb
- 200 g rhubarb leaves removed, cut into 3/4 inch (2cm) pieces across the stalk
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp water
Curd
- 200 g roasted rhubarb puree all of it from above, no need to weigh it
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg whole
- 30 g lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 90 g unsalted butter cold, cubed
Instructions
Roast the rhubarb
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Toss the rhubarb with the sugar and water in a small baking dish. Cover with foil and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until soft and juicy and the pieces collapse if you press down on them. 200 g rhubarb, 25 g granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp water
- Blend smooth with an immersion blender.
- Let the puree cool for about 10 minutes. You want it warm, not hot so it doesn't start setting the eggs when they are added.
Make the curd
- Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, lemon juice, and salt together in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl until smooth, then whisk in the rhubarb puree until well combined. It will be thick-ish but runny. Use a bowl at least twice the volume of the mixture. Leave the butter out for now. 200 g roasted rhubarb puree, 100 g granulated sugar, 3 large egg yolks, 1 large egg, 30 g lemon juice, 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Microwave on full power in 40-second bursts, whisking well after each one and getting right into the edges of the bowl. The whisking is what stops it scrambling, so don't skip any.
- It takes 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes in total and thickens noticeably over the last couple of bursts. Take it out at around 175°F (80°C), when the curd drops off the spatula in slow blobs rather than running off it.
- Whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next.
- Push through a fine mesh sieve to catch the rhubarb fiber and any set egg, working it through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Pour into a clean jar.
- Press cling film onto the surface if you don't want a skin to form. Cool, then refrigerate.
