Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 large lemon (juice and finely grated zest)
  • 80 g Swerve® sweetener (confectioners')
  • 25 g unsalted butter (diced small)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk

Instruction

  • Use a fine zester (or microplane) to finely grate the zest of your large lemon into a small, non-stick pan.
  • Slice the lemon in half and squeeze all the juice from both halves into the pan - through a fine mesh sieve to catch the pips and any solids.
  • You still want to get as much acidic goodness from the pulp, so use a small silicon spatula to press down on the contents of the sieve. Discard the contents of the sieve.
  • This is what you should have ready: - a pan of lemon juice and zest; the whisked egg and egg yolk, sifted sweetener, small cubes of butter
  • Add the sweetener and diced butter to the pan of lemon. Place the pan over moderate heat and warm the mixture through. You will soon notice the whole lot melts into a beautiful, emulsified mixture.
  • Add the whisked egg to the mixture and whisk well to combine.
  • This is the tricky part: Do not allow the eggs to scramble, but you still need the mixture to cook the eggs safely, yet sufficiently enough to do the job of thickening the curd. I like to increase the heat to high - but place my pan halfway on the heat, stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes until I see it starts to thicken. It is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.IF IN DOUBT: Rather cook on a lower heat for longer, because nobody wants scrambled eggs in their lemon curd. Its a delicate - but useful thing to learn. Once you learn how to manage this 'temperature control' - you will master ice-cream (even homemade custard!), where all the same rules apply: Cook eggs to the point where they are safe, but won't scramble). Its a lovely technique to know - and I promise you - EVERYONE CAN DO IT!
  • Once you are happy with a thick, glossy yellow mixture, pass it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. If any "egg solids" are caught in the sieve, you have likely over-cooked your curd and it will taste eggy: its a dud batch. However, if nothing but a little zest is caught - you have a winner batch of lemon curd! In that case, work your spatula on the mixture to pass the mixture through.
  • Don't forget to look on the underside of your sieve: lots of lovely mixture hasn't dripped off - so just run a clean spatula along the bottom to get more good, smooth mixture! Cover the surface directly with a sheet of clingfilm to prevent a skin forming.
  • Once cooled, transfer it into a clean container and cover with a well-fitting lid. It is best used immediately, but if made in advance, it should be kept in the fridge where it will last for a week. Remember, we are not using traditional ingredients here. I found that mine solidified a little more than I liked once it was chilling in the fridge (likely due to the butter?). I would therefore advise removing it from the fridge for a few hours before using. Another good stir will help!