Stuart’s lemon parfait is a zesty treat
Suart Faulds from Cumnock works as a fulltime chef at Dumfries House, three years after being hired to work there as a kitchen porter.
“Working at Woodlands is great experience for me as I get to cook great food using fresh produce for both local people and tourists,” said Stuart.
“It’s always a privilege when I see my former teachers or people I grew up with coming in to enjoy our food. Under head chef Tom Scoble, I’m constantly improving and learning new techniques.”
Stuart and his colleagues at Woodlands will regularly share with Ayrshire Post readers a selection of seasonal, makeathome recipes. Here, Stuart explains how to make a zesty lemon curd parfait for ten people.
The Dish
Our lemon curd parfait is a great dessert as it complements lots of the main dishes on the menu at Woodlands.
It’s served frozen with a selection of fresh, seasonal fruit so is great to eat throughout during the summer as it’s really refreshing.
At Dumfries House, we grow fruit and vegetables on site and use them in our dishes at Woodlands as much as possible.
The fresher the ingredients, the more flavoursome your meal will taste.
Lemon curd parfait is a great dessert to make when you have people visiting as you can make it in advance and it will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
In terms of ingredients, you will need six lemons ( juiced and zested), 200g caster sugar, 100g unsalted butter ( diced), three whole eggs and one egg yolk for the curd.
For the pâté à bombe, make sure you have 400g sugar, ten egg yolks and 325g lightly whipped double cream, as well as 100ml water.
I’d recommend that you start by making the curd. Set the eggs aside and mix all the other ingredients over a bain marie.
Once it is combined, lightly begin whisking the eggs into the mixture – and don’t stop whisking until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Leave the curd to chill for about an hour while you make the pate bomb.
Place the eggs yolks in a bowl and whisk them until they become pale and thick.
Combine the water and 400g sugar into a pot and boil it until its consistency resembles syrup.
If you have a thermometer, use it to check the temperature is 121oC before pouring it onto the egg yolks and whisking it together until it is combined.
Next, gently fold the lemon curd and pate bomb together.
Once combined, add the whipped cream and continue to fold through the mix before pouring the mixture into small ramekins and placing in the freezer to set.
When we serve this dessert in Woodlands during the summer, I like to pair it with raspberries and lemon meringue.
I also use some ground pistachio as it adds flavour and brings it all together. We always get great feedback on this dessert from Woodlands diners as it’s not too heavy.