Opening my Nigel Slater Kitchen Diaries II to the April chapter, which down under is seasonally appropriate in October, I become hungry for lemon curd. Nigel extoles its virtues for two whole pages. I've used many lemon curd recipes over the years, but this will be the one I use from now on. Here's a little of what he had to say:
If there was ever a moment to spend money on fine ingredients, then this is it. The most fragrant lemons, the sweetest farmhouse butter and the freshest organic eggs that will make a preserve that is head and shoulders above ones made with lesser ingredients. Most lemon curd recipes instruct you to stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. I find that stirring gently with a whisk introduces just a little more lightness into the curd, making it slightly less solid and more wobbly.
Ingredients
| 100 g | Butter, cut into cubes |
| 200 g | Caster sugar |
| 3 | Eggs, plus 1 egg yolk |
| 4 | Lemons, unwaxed, zested and juiced |
Directions
- Put the lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has melted.
- Mix the eggs lightly with a fork, then stir them 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 fridge.
