Lemon Curd
Lemon Curd
Four ingredients, silky and bright — the cold-butter trick at the end is what makes it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 7 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (100mL)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (113g)
Instructions
- Zest the lemons. If you have a food processor, pulse the zest with the sugar to extract the oils — the sugar will turn pale yellow and fragrant. Optional but it deepens the lemon flavor.
- Juice the lemons until you have about ½ cup. Strain out the seeds.
- Strain the egg yolks into a medium pot and beat lightly with a wire whisk. Whisk in the sugar until the mixture lightens in color, then gradually stir in the lemon juice.
- Set the pot over low heat. Whisk constantly until the curd thickens noticeably, just begins to bubble, and coats the back of a wooden spoon — a finger drawn across the spoon should leave a clean line.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the cold cubed butter until fully melted and incorporated. The cold butter cools the curd and helps it set.
- Optional but recommended: strain the finished curd through a fine sieve into a bowl or jar to catch any zest or bits of cooked egg. The result is silky smooth.
- Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until completely set.
Keep the heat low. Don't try to speed things up — too much heat will scramble the yolks. If your stove won't go low enough, use a double boiler. It takes a few extra minutes but it's worth it for a smooth curd.
Don't stop whisking until the pot is off the heat. Letting it sit undisturbed lets the bottom overheat and the eggs lump up.
Make ahead: The curd thickens further as it chills, so make it at least a day before you need it. Once fully cooled, the plastic wrap on the surface isn't necessary as long as the container has an airtight lid.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw frozen curd in the fridge overnight.
Variations: Works with Meyer lemons, regular or key limes, oranges, and grapefruit. For sweeter citrus like orange, keep 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the total to maintain some tartness.
If it won't thicken: Stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water, return to heat, and whisk until thickened. Remember it firms up more once cooled.
Don't stop whisking until the pot is off the heat. Letting it sit undisturbed lets the bottom overheat and the eggs lump up.
Make ahead: The curd thickens further as it chills, so make it at least a day before you need it. Once fully cooled, the plastic wrap on the surface isn't necessary as long as the container has an airtight lid.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw frozen curd in the fridge overnight.
Variations: Works with Meyer lemons, regular or key limes, oranges, and grapefruit. For sweeter citrus like orange, keep 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the total to maintain some tartness.
If it won't thicken: Stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water, return to heat, and whisk until thickened. Remember it firms up more once cooled.
Per batch (about 1½ cups): 1307 cal · 142g carbs · 12g protein · 81g fat · 136g sugar
Adapted from Preppy Kitchen.