During Meyer Lemon season, I love to make this recipe using Meyer Lemons which tend to be a bit sweeter and less acidic than traditional lemons. When I do, I simply reduce the sugar to a scant cup and proceed as usual. The resulting curd has a bit more of an orange undertone from the color of the Meyer Lemons, but otherwise tastes amazingly similar.
Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm
Ingredients
1cupfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1Tablespoonfinely grated lemon zest
1 ¼cupsugar
4large eggs
pinchof salt
2sticks(16 Tablespoons) butter
Instructions
Cut the butter into Tablespoon sized pieces, reserving 2 Tablespoons to be added to the curd after it is finished cooking.
In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, and salt. Whisk gently to combine Place a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 14 Tablespoons of the butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, add the lemon juice mixture and whisk to combine. Increase the heat slightly and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens. A perfectly thickened curd will be what the French would call “Nappe”.
Nappe is a fancy term for the consistency a sauce reaches when it is thick enough to coat a dish without being too thick. Checking to see if a curd or custard is nappe is simple. Immerse a clean spoon into the mixture; remove the spoon, turning it so that the back of the spoon is facing you. Run a finger down the length of the spoon from the handle to the tip. If a clean path is created and the curd remains on both sides of the spoon, you have achieved nappe. If not, simply continue to cook the sauce while whisking until it thickens properly.
Once the curd reaches nappe consistency, remove the pan from the heat. I like to strain my curd to into a large bowl to ensure that there are no lumps or bits of scrambled egg in the finished curd, but this step can be skipped. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter, whisking to incorporate the butter into the curd as it melts.
Transfer the finished curd to a large bowl or Mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Curd can be kept in the refrigerator for one week.