
Bright, silky, and intensely lemony, this curd is the kind of thing you'll want to spoon onto absolutely everything — toast, scones, yogurt, or straight from the jar. For anyone navigating a spice-free lifestyle, it's a genuinely satisfying treat because most store-bought curds and fruit spreads sneak in unexpected flavorings or "natural spice" blends that can be hard to decode on a label. This recipe keeps it clean: just eggs, sugar, fresh lemon juice, zest, butter, and salt — nothing hidden, nothing ambiguous. The double-boiler method is the real secret here, giving you gentle, even heat that coaxes the eggs into a smooth, glossy custard without any scrambling. Whisking in cold butter cubes at the end gives the curd that luxurious, velvety body that makes it feel far more indulgent than the short ingredient list suggests. Straining it through a fine-mesh sieve at the finish ensures a perfectly smooth texture, and after a quick chill in the fridge it sets into something truly beautiful. Once you've made it from scratch, it's very hard to go back to anything from a shelf.
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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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