Lemon Curd

willyow, Oct 22, 7:16pm
As the lemon trees are loaded at the moment - time for some more of my favourite lemon curd - Nigel Slater of the Guardian has this recipe which is the best I have ever tasted.
LEMON CURD

Most lemon curd recipes instruct you to stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. I find that stirring lightly with a whisk introduces just a little more lightness into the curd, making it slightly less solid and more wobbly.

Makes 2 small jam jars
zest and juice of 4 unwaxed lemons
200g sugar
100g butter
3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter, cut into cubes, into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the basin doesn't touch the water. Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has melted.

Mix the eggs and egg yolk lightly with a fork, then stir into the lemon mixture. Let the curd cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until it is thick and custard-like. It should feel heavy on the whisk.

Remove from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools. Pour into spotlessly clean jars and seal. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
sarahb5, Oct 23, 12:11am
I like the microwave one - so easy
jaybee6, Oct 23, 6:19am
Micro is far better. I use to do the stove way until I tried doin in the microwave.
kaddiew, Oct 23, 12:12pm
Microwave here too. And only ever the no butter one.
sarahb5, Oct 23, 3:44pm
I have lost my no butter recipe somehow - would you be able to repost it please? I know I got it here first but I've done a search and can't find it - thanks
kaddiew, Oct 23, 4:04pm
Here it is - this is the one I posted years ago.

2 eggs plus 1 yolk; 1/2 cup sugar; juice & zest of 2 lemons.

Lightly whisk eggs; add the rest. Microwave on High in 30 second bursts, whisking in between, for 2-3 mins.

Keeps in fridge approx 2 weeks. Freezes well

Note: I use more lemon, as I prefer it to be quite sharp.
sarahb5, Oct 23, 7:16pm
Thanks - this is a smaller amount as well which is good as I'm the only one who likes it here
kaddiew, Oct 23, 7:51pm
Same here. I'd never get through a big batch on my own. But have doubled and trebled the recipe when giving it away.
bisel, Oct 23, 9:14pm
Thanks for posting that recipe willyow, It turned out just as you said, light and fluffy.

I know the microwave recipes are easy (and delicious too) but sometimes when we are on the road, don't have access to the microwave.
willyow, Oct 27, 3:17am
I'm a Nigel Slater fan. often try his recipes from The Guardian and haven't had a dud one yet.
aktow, Oct 27, 7:00am
my sister wanted me to make her lemon honey so last week i made 3 batches using 2 different recipes,, the first was from the edmonds cook book, i made sure i followed their recipe and measured everything, , well first it took a very very long time to thicken,,also the lemon honey was so tart. i had to add lots more sugar,, i went online for the second batch and i noticed the edmonds recipe online was different than the book,,, online had double the eggs and less lemons, this batch i did in the microwave,, either my microwave is slow or the recipe under estimates the cooking time,, my microwave small and around 700 watts,, i think it took about 15 minutes stopping every 1 minute to give the mixture a whisk,, my 3rd batch same recipe but done in double boiler,,
aktow, Dec 10, 1:11am
i must be going senile in my old age, i just looked through a baking site on the web and i saw crème au citron. i thought where have i seen that before,, then the penny dropped, last week i was going through a old note book i kept with menus from restaurants i worked in,

here is the recipe for lemon curd i used to make ,,, note the butter is added at the end and not in the beginning like edmonds recipe,, also i put the ingredients in to grams,,, 200g is close enough to 200mls

200g sugar 200g lemon juice
butter 130g 6 eggs total (3 whole eggs + 3 yolks)

Method
1) place sugar, lemon juice into a bowl, place over a Bain Marie or a pot with water in it , heat until sugar dissolved,
2) in another bowl whisk eggs
3) add dissolved sugar very slowly to beaten eggs whisking continually so eggs do not cook and go like scrambled eggs
4) place egg mixture back over Bain Marie and whisk until cooked, you should see whisk lines in egg mixture when it is thick enough, , you can also dip a wooden spoon in and out of eggs mixture. if back of spoon has a good cover of egg mixture and it does not run off the spoon then the mixture is ready.
5) take bowl off Bain Marie and add the soft butter, whisk until smooth,, you can pass through sieve if lumpy. place in glass jars or a containing and put in frig