Lemon Curd

Make Lemon Curd now: silky, bright Lemon Curd in minutes; use as a spread, filling, or topping.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp caster sugar ((superfine sugar) - or regular / granulated sugar)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 egg yolks (from the eggs used in the meringue)
• 50g (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter (, cut into 1 cm / 1/2" cubes)
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Step 1: Rub together sugar and lemon zest

In a small bowl, use your fingertips to briskly rub the caster sugar and the bright yellow lemon zest together until the sugar is fragrant and grainy with citrus oil. This simple abrasion releases volatile lemon oils and makes the sugar smell intensely lemony, setting the stage for a bright curd. Treat the mixture gently but thoroughly so the sugar stays loose and fragrant, not wet.

Step 2: Combine sugar, yolks and lemon juice

Tip the lemon-scented sugar into a small ceramic mixing bowl, add the three egg yolks and whisk until smooth and slightly pale. Pour in the measured lemon juice, scatter in the pinch of salt and add the cold butter cubes. Stir briefly so the butter is distributed in the mixture before heat transforms it. This is the moment the ingredients are fully assembled and ready for gentle thickening.

Step 3: Cook and thicken into a glossy custard

Place the bowl off the heat (the in-progress image shows the assembled mixture transferred to the same white ceramic bowl), and imagine the slow, steady whisking while the mixture warms. As it thickens the texture changes from liquid to a silky, custard-like body; whisk until it just reaches the first confident bubble and feels velvety on the whisk. If any tiny scrambled streaks appear, strain them out so the final curd is impossibly smooth.

Step 4: Cool, cover and chill before using

Pour the finished, glossy lemon curd into the same small pristine white bowl, press a piece of cling wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and let it cool at room temperature about 30 minutes before chilling it for at least an hour. The curd should become bright, thick, and spoonable—rich and glossy with a satiny sheen ready to be served.

Notes

• Use fresh lemons for the best flavor and aroma.
• Rub zest into the sugar to release citrus oils before mixing.
• Press cling wrap directly onto the curd surface to prevent a skin.
• If curd looks slightly scrambled, strain through a fine sieve.
• Chill at least an hour for best texture before serving.