Lemon Curd

on

Ingredients

Makes: 330 grams / 1¼ cups

Unsalted butter: 57 grams (4 tablespoons or ½ stick)
Lemon zest: 4 grams (2 teaspoons, finely grated)
Lemon juice: 95 grams (about ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons or 89 ml, freshly squeezed and strained from 3 lemons)
Egg yolks: 93 grams (about 5 to 8 large egg yolks, depending on size)
Sugar: 150 grams (¾ cup)
Fine sea salt: A pinch (¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon)

Directions

1. Mise en Place
  • Thirty minutes to 1 hour ahead, cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces. Set on the counter to soften.
  • Wash the lemons with dishwashing liquid, rinse, and dry before zesting them. Set the lemon zest in a medium bowl. Suspend a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl.
  • Into a 1 cup / 237 ml glass measure with a spout, weigh or measure the lemon juice.
  • Into a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, weigh or measure the egg yolks.

1. Add the butter and sugar to the yolks and whisk until blended.

2. Whisk in the lemon juice and salt.

3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the sides of the pan asneeded, until the mixture is thickened and resembles hollandaise sauce. It should thickly coat the spatula but still be liquid enough to pour. It will change from translucent to opaque as it cooks and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of the spatula. Do not let it boil, or it will curdle. If steam appears, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly, to keep the mixture from boiling.

4. When the curd has thickened and will pool slightly when a little is dropped on its surface, immediately pour it intothe strainer. Press it through the strainer and scrape any mixture clinging to the underside into the bowl.

5. Stir gently to mix in the lemon zest in the bowl.

6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or pour into an airtight container. Cool completely and then refrigerate. The curd will continue to thicken during cooling and chilling.

Enjoy your homemade, zesty lemon curd!

Notes

  • You can adjust the sweetness or tartness by slightly altering the sugar or lemon juice to taste.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 weeks. Longer storage dulls the fresh citrus flavor. 
  • Adapted from the Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum 

Comments

Post a Comment