emon curd is a thick, soft and creamy, spreadable cream that has a
wonderful tart
yet sweet flavor. Traditionally it was used as a spread for scones but today we
also use
it to fill our tarts, pies, cakes, and as part of a trifle.
Lemon Curd
does not use exotic ingredients; just eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and
unsalted butter. It is similar to a lemon filling or custard in that it is cooked on the stove.
But instead
of directly over the heat, we are going to cook it over a saucepan of simmering water. I know
that doing it this way takes a little longer, but it helps prevent the eggs from that dreaded
curdling (little specks of cooked egg). Just make sure that the water in
the bottom saucepan is 'simmering' which is defined as the point just short of a boil, that is,
when bubbles start to appear. Oftentimes if you find the lemon curd is not
thickening fast enough, all you need to do is increase the temperature of the
simmering water. Once the lemon curd has become nice and thick (like
hollandaise), remove it from the heat and strain to remove any lumps that may have
formed. Then stir in the butter and lemon zest and your done. Cover immediately
with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate. You will find
that the lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. It will keep
in the refrigerator for about a week. You can even make the lemon curd lighter
in texture and flavor by folding in a little whipped cream once the curd has
been thoroughly chilled.
When choosing lemons look for ones that are fragrant with brightly colored oily yellow
skins. The best ones are firm, plump, and heavy for their size. Don't
buy lemons that have blemishes, soft spots, or are hard and wrinkled. Lemons
consist of a yellow outer rind (skin) that can be of varying thickness
and graininess, and can have either a bumpy or a smooth texture. This
outer skin is where most of the lemon's wonderful tangy flavor is located. Before removing
the outer rind (zest) make sure you wash the lemon thoroughly (soap and
water is best). When removing the zest do not remove the white membrane
(pith) that is underneath as it is very bitter tasting. Once you have
removed the outer rind, inside the lemon are small vessels called 'pulp vesicles'
which
contain the pleasantly acidic lemon juice and seeds. Squeezing the
lemon by hand or with a lemon squeezer or reamer releases this clear tart
juice. Always use fresh lemons to make lemon curd as the bottled
lemon juice is a poor substitute and won't give you that wonderful sharp
and refreshing citrus taste.
In a stainless steel bowl placed over a
saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice
until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from
curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce)
(160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from
heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter
into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the
lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.
Makes 1 1/2 cups (360 ml).
If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) of
heavy whipping cream and fold into the lemon curd.
Adapted from Easy Entertaining
with Marlene Sorosky
4 tablespoons
(56 grams) unsalted butter,
at room temperature and cut into small pieces
Note: Room temperature
lemons provide more juice. After squeezing, strain the juice to remove any
pulp. Zest is the yellow, sweet-flavored outer rind of the lemon. A zester or
fine grater can be used to remove the rind. Cold lemons are much easier to
grate. Grate lemons just before using as the zest will lose moisture if it sits
too long.
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