Yorkshire Curd Tart - Recipe

     Yorkshire Curd Tart is a traditional recipe form the North of England.  Ever since I came back from visiting Yorkshire this spring, I have been fascinated by finding out more about the cultural traditions of Yorkshire and variations on this tart.  Amounts of ingredients vary and sometimes the flavorings too.  Rose water or no rose water for example, but a few things are certain to be included:  curd cheese, egg, lemon, nutmeg, and dried fruit (usually currants).

     This was a dish often served during Whitsuntide (the week after Pentecost, the 8th Sunday of Easter celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles).  Whitsundtide was 1 of 3 weeks of "vacation" given to the medieval villein (serfs).

     Living in Virginia, I don't see curd cheese in the grocery store very often (it was not advisable to use cottage cheese), but I found out it is super easy to make.  For my curd cheese, I heated full fat 100% grass fed milk which had the cream on top, added lemon juice, and wallah!  -the curds and whey formed quickly and easily.  I tried two ways of draining in the refrigerator.  One was with cheese cloth in a strainer set in a covered mixing bowl and the other was hanging the cheese cloth from a wooden spoon over a pasta pot.  I think the wooden spoon hanging method seemed to drain slightly better.  Someday I may ask some artisan cheese makers for curd, but that is for another day.  In the meantime, making my own does just fine.

     Here is my version of Yorkshire Curd Tart.  One thing I do that seems to help hold the curd cheese together is adding just a little bit of cream cheese.  Doing that with 2 eggs is a perfect match for bringing everything together.

Yorkshire Curd Tart

(Serves 8)

Curd Cheese
(Yields 1 1/2 c. loosely packed)

4 c. Full Fat 100% Grass Fed Milk with cream on top
4 T. Lemon Juice

Pastry

1 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
2 T. Organic Pure Cane Sugar
Pinch Salt
7 T. Unsalted Butter chilled
1 Egg beaten
2 T. Lemon Juice divided

Filling

5 T. Unsalted Butter softened
2 oz. Cream Cheese softened
1/4 c. Super Fine Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. (8oz.) Curd Cheese
2/3 c. Currants
2 tsp. Lemon Curd
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

Garnish

8 T. Lemon Curd

Curd Cheese
The night before or 8 hours before you bake the tart, make the curd cheese.  Pour the milk in a sauce pan and heat on low, stirring often, until it develops tiny bubbles on top and just begins to simmer.  Stir in the lemon juice, take off heat, and 3 minutes later, stir gently one more time.  The curds should be separating from the whey.  Let it sit at room temperature to cool for 1 hour.

Fold a fine meshed cheese cloth into four layers and place in a metal sieve in a mixing bowl.  Pour the curds and whey into the cheese cloth.  Lift the sieve and discard the liquid whey or keep for another use.  To continue draining, find a pasta pot and a wooden spoon.  Tie the opposite corners of the cheese cloth around the wooden spoon and lift the cheese bundle into the pot with the spoon straddling the top of the pot, making sure the cheese cloth  does not touch the bottom.  Put into the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

After lemon juice is poured into milk to make curd cheese.

Straining the curd cheese from the whey.

Curd Cheese.

You can strain overnight in a sieve inside a mixing bowl.

You can also strain by hanging curd cheese in a cheese cloth from a wooden spoon over a pasta pot .

Pastry
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the butter and then mix with your hands quickly pinching the butter and flour together to create a gravel texture.  Add the egg and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  Mix quickly with your hands.  If still crumbly, add the other tablespoon of lemon juice.  Form the pastry into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Roll out on a lightly floured board and place in a 9 inch pie plate.  Pinch the edges to make a crimping pattern.

Pastry crust in pie pan.

Filling
Place butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat until fluffy.  Add one egg at a time beating well after each.  Add the curd cheese and beat a minute or two more.  Stir in the currants, lemon curd, and nutmeg.

Spreading filling in pie shell.

Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 30 minutes until set.  The center should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cool on a rack until warm before cutting.  Serve with a dollop of lemon curd.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Sources:
Milk:  Organic Valley Grass Milk: Organic Whole Milk (100% Grass-Fed No Grain, Cream on Top)
Eggs:  Harpers Ferry Family Farm, LLC
Lemon Curd:  Wilkin and Sons LTD (Tiptree)

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