Smooth and tangy lemon curd with just the right amount of sweetness. Use as a filling for tarts or cakes - or simply eat by the spoonful.
Chef's notes
This lemon curd will set nicely when properly chilled; however, it is not very stiff. If filling one large tart, it will likely slide a bit once sliced; therefore, it is best for individual tarts. Once placed into a tart shell or cake, chill for at least 6 to 8 hours.
Steps
1
Preparing Your Mise en Place
Ingredients
4 to 5 whole lemons
12 oz sugar
6 oz butter
4 large eggs
To prepare your mise en place, first wash the lemons. Remove the zest from 4 lemons and set aside.
Juice the lemons to equal 180 ml (3/4 cup or 12 tbsp).
Measure the sugar and butter and gather the eggs.
2
Preparing the Liquid
Place the lemon juice, lemon zest and butter into a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat. Don't let the juice reduce or evaporate as you will alter the proper ratio.
3
Whisking the Eggs and Sugar
While the juice mixture is heating, place the eggs into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar just until smooth.
4
Tempering the Eggs
Once the liquid mixture comes to a boil, temper the eggs. Slowly add the hot liquid to the egg mixture, a bit at a time, while constantly whisking. Once everything is combined, pour the mixture back into the pot.
5
Cooking the Lemon Curd
Over medium heat, SLOWLY bring the mixture up to a boil. This will take at least 5 or 6 minutes (or more), so be patient. Stir continuously and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent the mixture from cooking unevenly and curdling.
Once the curd has come to a gentle boil, immediately remove it from the heat.
6
Straining the Lemon Curd
Immediately strain the lemon curd into a stainless-steel bowl.
7
Cooling the Lemon Curd
Ingredients
ice bath
Once strained, place the lemon curd over an ice bath to cool. Stir occasionally.
Once cool, transfer to the refrigerator. The curd can now be used in a variety of desserts and will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.
