Why it works: Lemon and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,227 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Raspberry Curd
Ingredients
Directions
Make the raspberry base
Puree the raspberries.
Combine the raspberry puree with lemon juice and sugar, if needed.
Place the mixture in a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Strain the mixture through a mesh sieve.
Add the butter
Place the strained raspberry mixture in a blender or food processor.
Melt the butter in a saucepan until it is just bubbly.
With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter.
Return the blended mixture to the saucepan.
Thicken and chill
Beat the egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of the raspberry mixture to the egg yolks and blend well.
Pour the egg yolk and raspberry mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the raspberry mixture.
Over very low heat, stir until the mixture thickens, about 10 or 15 minutes.
Cool the curd and refrigerate.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Raspberry | 1 cup (123g) | 64 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Lemon + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Lemon + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Lemon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Raspberries
- Provide the main flavor and color, and their pulp forms the body of the curd.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the raspberry flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps balance the tartness of the raspberries and lemon.
- Unsalted butter
- Adds fat that makes the curd rich and gives it a smooth, silky texture.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the curd as they heat, giving it a set, custard-like structure.
The step that matters
Thickening the egg yolks over very low heat. Egg yolks can scramble if heated too quickly. Tempering with warm raspberry mixture and stirring over very low heat lets the proteins thicken the curd smoothly.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, butter, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Lemonthe original
- Raisinfits about as well
- Figfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, butter, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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