Lemon Curd

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Show: Good EatsEpisode: The Egg-Files

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (31)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(31)

Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
--
Yield:
1 pint

Times:

Prep: 5 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 15 min
Total:: 20 min

Recipe Tools:

Select a Card Size

Add To My Recipe Box

Success

This recipe was added to your Folder_Name folder.

Do not show this message again

Add To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to add this recipe to your Recipe Box.

Ingredients

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Directions

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Next Recipe

More recipes? Try these recommendations:

Similar Recipe

Creole Christmas Fruit Cake with Whiskey Sauce

Similar Recipes

Recipes Like This

All About…

Recipe Collections

Showing 1-10 of 55

View all 55 Dessert Collections

Comments & Reviews

recipe Lemon Curd
katie Atlanta, GA 01-18-2010
Flag

warning- very lemony not for the faint of heart
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

while i love citrus, even this recipe was way too lemony for me. i also agree with some of the other comments about it being... too buttery as well. i will make this again because i love lemon curd and scones, but i will only use a TBL of zest and sub half the lemon juice with water. other than that, the consistancy is great and it's a good jumping off point.Read more
recipe Lemon Curd
Jeff Glen Ridge, NJ 01-02-2010
Flag

Pay attention to the quantity of lemon juice
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I'm a big fan of Alton, but this recipe is poorly written. It calls for 4 lemons to be juiced but only requires 1/3rd of a... cup of lemon juice. With my 4 lemons (no larger or juicer than the average) I had 3/4 cup of juice which i unwittingly added to the egg/sugar mixture. Result: Lemon soup (hopefully it will make a nice sorbet). True, it's my fault for not paying more attention to the recipe, but it would help the inattentive if the ingredients called for 'juice 4 lemons, preserving 1/3 cup for use'.Read more
recipe Lemon Curd
Lindsay Grand Rapids, MI 01-01-2010
Flag

Good, but too much butter
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The recipe as stated tasted far too buttery for my taste. I will do as a previous reviewer suggested and just use 2T next... time.Read more
recipe Lemon Curd
Lisa Flushing, NY, NY 12-29-2009
Flag

Why call for so many lemons?
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I just made this recipe, and it tastes great, but I don't understand why so many lemons were called for. Maybe my lemons... were particularly juicy, but I got over a cup of lemon juice from the four lemons. I also wonder if it will eventually become translucent like the lemon curd I've seen sold in jars. Right now it's opaque, and the consistency is somewhat marshmallowy. Maybe it just needs to settle?Read more
recipe Lemon Curd
Laura Mesa, AZ 11-05-2009
Flag

Tasty
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I made this because I had some leftover egg yolks from making meringues and I didn't just want to pitch them. I used 5 egg... yolks, but only 2 lemons. 2 lemons easily got me the 1/3 cup of lemon juice (and then some). Thus, I only added the zest of 2 lemons. It tastes fantastic! Maybe even a little tart than the pre-made curd you buy at the grocery store. I plan to use it to make lemon chicken later this week. Read more
recipe Lemon Curd
Samantha Rougemont, NC 10-25-2009
Flag

Wonderful, but strain it!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This stuff tastes great, has a beautiful texture. BUT! I can't believe how much zest is in it and nothing in the recipe out... getting it out. One bite and I had a piece of it stuck in the back of my throat for hours. Maybe my zester doesn't grate it fine enough if it's supposed to be left in there? This was easily remedied by pushing it through a fine mesh strainer before chilling. It didn't dilute the flavor at all. I lightened it slightly with a little whipped cream and made mini pavlovas with it. Shape the individual meringues like clouds with the back of a spoon, and create a depression in the center to hold the curd. Top with fresh berries and you have a gorgeous dessert worthy of any gourmet meal. Read more