
Bright, silky, and intensely lemony, this homemade curd is the kind of thing that makes you want to eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. Many store-bought versions rely on stabilizers and thickeners — carrageenan among them — to achieve that glossy, spreadable texture, so checking labels can quickly become a frustrating exercise. Here, the thickening happens the old-fashioned way: eggs and butter, coaxed over a gentle double boiler until the mixture transforms into something luxuriously smooth and rich. Constant whisking and a slow, steady heat are the real secrets, and hitting that 160°F mark ensures the eggs are fully safe to eat without scrambling them. Straining the finished curd through a fine-mesh sieve gives it that perfectly clean, velvety consistency you'd expect from a high-end patisserie. Spread it on toast, swirl it into yogurt, dollop it onto scones, or use it as a tart filling — this recipe is endlessly versatile and made entirely from ingredients you can actually pronounce.
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Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Set a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt together in the heatproof bowl until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
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