Lemon Posset
Each year in the early Spring I try to incorporate citrus as the star of a new recipe. This year I have returned to a classic Lemon Posset, which is essentially a cheat’s custard.
Welcome to Notes from my Spring Kitchen you are warmly invited to join me as I cook through the seasons.
As the days lengthen and the sun returns, the garden at home will be waking up and revealing green shoots, bulbs, buds and blossom. I always look forward to this moment and a brighter spring pantry. The kitchen too has a lively hum as with spring comes the best of the new season’s produce: asparagus, broad beans, leeks, lettuce, glorious new potatoes, peas, spring greens, spring onion, watercress and wild garlic. As we cook through the seasons together I have some new recipes to share in the coming weeks: a Spinach and Feta Pie full of seasonal goodness and a traditional Roast Lamb for the Easter weekend.
In amongst all the glorious new ingredients for spring are citrus fruits which are in season from Autumn through until the end of March. Blood oranges, lemons and oranges from warmer climates pair beautifully with so many of the ingredients I want to cook now. They also bring a much needed brightness and sharpness to dishes. Last year I made a Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake and this year I have returned to a classic: Lemon Posset. A posset is essentially a cheat’s custard made from double cream, sugar, and lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice when added to the cream causes an acid-protein reaction, this is what miraculously sets the posset.
In researching the recipe and testing it I stumbled upon its origins in Medieval England: a “poshset” was a curdled milk drink mixed with wine or ale and used to treat colds. By the 18th century it is recognisably a “citrus custard”. The evolution of this pudding makes it all the more special, I hope this is a recipe you will try and enjoy.
Recipe of the Week
Lemon Posset
A simple, classic pudding: a softly set lemon custard, rich yet bright with the sharpness of citrus. It requires very little cooking and can be made ahead and set in the fridge. Perfect for an Easter lunch or family gathering other the long bank holiday weekend.
Serves 4
425ml double cream
100g golden caster sugar
1 1/2 unwaxed lemons
4 glasses, ramekins, or tea cups in which to set the posset
mint leaves, slices of lemon or berries to decorate before serving
Prepare the lemons: zest 1 unwaxed lemon and squeeze the juice of a 1 1/2 lemons. Set aside.
Take a sauce pan and add the double cream and golden caster sugar, heat gently stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Watch carefully as the cream will quickly boil over if left unattended. Once piping hot take off the heat and pour into a large jug.
To the hot sweet cream add the lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until combined. Then pour into glasses from a height, dividing the mixture into four. Allow to cool and then place in the fridge overnight.
The possets will be ready to serve the following day. Before serving you can top with a fresh mint leaf, or small slices of lemon, or fresh berries.
About Notes from my Kitchen
I am writing to you from my London kitchen and sharing the food and tastes of my English childhood. The food I love to cook is nostalgic and seasonal. I take much inspiration from my late mother, her Kentish kitchen and her beloved garden which is a truly special place. She built and designed the garden from an existing footprint on the grounds of our family home. I hope to share it with you through the seasons, especially the kitchen garden. Discovering her recipes and reimagining her food brings me both happiness and a sense of belonging.
