I could eat lemon curd by the spoonful. It is that good. Made with Meyer lemons, it is sublime. Though I like it on a scone with a bit of clotted cream, I like it best in a tart, as a cake filling, or best of all, in a nest of billowy meringue. Over the years I have tried many recipes for lemon curd. Some call for using whole eggs, some for a combination of whole eggs and yolks, and some for yolks only. I prefer the yolk-only, which produces a rich, creamy consistency and flavor. To ensure that your lemon curd is as creamy as can be, use a vegetable peeler to zest the lemons, rather than a micro-planer or grater. The zest gets completely strained out when it is done, making the smoothest curd possible.
Making lemon curd is not difficult, but you have to be careful. Most important, make sure the mixture never boils. If it does, it will curdle, leaving you with something that tastes (and looks like) sweet, lemony, scrambled eggs. Be sure to stir the mixture evenly and constantly. It is more likely to curdle if allowed to settle in one spot for too long. The curd is done when it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Ingredients
- Makes about 2 cups
- 1 cup (7 oz) sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 7 egg yolks
- Zest of one lemon removed with a vegetable peeler
- 4 oz (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
Place the sugar, lemon juice, and egg yolks in a heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the zest and cubed butter and place the saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly over the entire bottom with a wooden spoon (make sure to run the spoon around the edges of the pan as you are stirring—the mixture will thicken there more rapidly). Cook until it thickens considerably and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let the lemon curd boil, as that will cause it to curdle.
Strain into a clean container. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until well chilled. Or place over an ice bath to speed up the chilling process.
The curd will keep for up to 7 days tightly covered in the refrigerator. It also freezes for up to 3 months.
http://madeleineeffect.com/2015/02/meyer-lemon-curd/
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