Posset

Has there ever been a recipe more exactly calibrated to yours truly, Reb, eater of worlds? The food category I find the most comforting of all is puddings (in the American sense of the word). I'd rather have a good pudding than ice cream. And I'm a lemon-above-chocolate person, which is praise indeed considering my appetite for chocolate. The only problem with pudding-category foods is that they can sometimes be too eggy-- I'm not a fan of the obvious flavor of eggs in desserts. (I appreciate what they provide structurally, texturally, etc.) I'm also something of a food history hobbyist, so I've been meaning to make posset for a while, and Melissa Clark publishing a recipe for it in the NYTimes spurred me on.

I am delighted to report that I love it, and that the most pleasing thing about it (besides it being a joy to eat) is its utter elegance of ratios and exaltation of simple chemistry. 1 c heavy cream, a lemon, and 1/3 c sugar. That's it. Melissa Clark's recipe is for a pint of cream, but I assume that with the right little pot it could be successfully downsized to a single lemon and a single cup (or with the right larger pot, upsized). Do take care to use a big enough pot that you needn't stress about anything boiling over.

2 c heavy cream
2/3 c granulated sugar
2 t finely grated lemon zest (I say just zest 2 lemons, but without being persnickity about it at all)
salt
1/3 c fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)-- I say just juice 2 really nicely juicy lemons

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, sugar, lemon zest, and salt over medium high heat. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar. Simmer vigorously until mixture thickens slightly and reduces to 2 c, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. ***I actually put in the lemon juice from the beginning-- even simpler!-- and I am happy to report that it worked just fine.***  Let sit until mixture has cooled slightly and a skin forms on top, about 20 minutes. Stir, and strain, if you'd like. Pour mixture into 6 ramekins. Refrigerate, uncovered, until set, at least 3 hours. (Many NYTimes readers commented that they only got "4 small portions," not 6. I think you should use as tiny of aliquots as you can. First off, it will help it set better. Second, this is eating sugared pure heavy cream. I do not make moderation advice based off of health concerns, but off of culinary concerns; a few small spoonfuls really IS enough for a serving, and will act as lip balm besides with all that butterfat.)

In conclusion, I will note, rather unappetizingly, that I once won a baby shower game because I knew that 'posset' is also a Britishism for baby spit-up. Biochemically, it makes sense. But don't let that put you off your lemon posset. It really is delicious, and not at all curdley... in that way.