Chicken Free Lime Curd

Total time1 hr 25 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time15 min

4.5

(16)

Bright, tangy, and impossibly silky, this lime curd is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more special. It starts with a generous amount of fresh lime zest and juice, so the citrus flavor is bold and real — none of that muted, artificial quality you get from store-bought versions. The double hit of whole eggs and egg yolks gives the curd its gorgeous, custard-like richness, while cold butter whisked in at the end creates that glossy, spoonable texture you want to eat straight off the spoon. Cooking it low and slow over a double boiler and bringing it up to 170°F means the eggs are fully cooked and the curd is completely food-safe, no guesswork required. Straining it through a fine-mesh sieve at the end removes any zest or cooked egg bits, leaving you with a perfectly smooth, jewel-toned spread. Slather it on scones, swirl it into yogurt, layer it into a tart shell, or just keep a jar in the fridge for whenever you need a little sunshine — it keeps beautifully once chilled.

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Ingredients

8 servings

1 tbsp lime zest (from about 3 limes)
½ cup fresh lime juice (from about 4–5 limes)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
¼ tsp fine salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

Instructions

1
Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt in a heatproof bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
2
Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and a finger drawn through leaves a clean line, and the mixture reaches 170°F (77°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 10–12 minutes. Reaching 170°F (77°C) ensures the eggs are fully cooked and the curd is food-safe.

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