Lemon Curd Skillet Custard
A soft, dense lemon custard cooked gently in a pan, bright with fresh lemon juice and zest. It sets to a fondant, spoonable texture and makes a simple warm sweet for one.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 5 · Cook 10
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Tempering eggs · Zesting
- Sweet
- Stovetop
Instructions
-
Zest the lemons into a small bowl, then halve and juice them to get 2 tbsp lemon juice. Add the 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water to the bowl.
~3 min
Zesting before juicing preserves the aromatic oils in the peel, which carry most of the lemon's fragrance.
Zest the lemon before juicing it, since a zested lemon is awkward to juice and the zest carries most of the bright aroma.
Zesting Grate only the bright yellow peel, stopping before the bitter white pith. Zest before juicing so the fruit stays easy to hold.
-
Crack the 2 eggs into the bowl with the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth and pale.
~2 min
-
Melt the 15 g butter in a small non-stick skillet over low heat until just foaming, about 1 minute.
~1 min
Melting butter first coats the pan and tempers the eggs slightly, helping the custard thicken smoothly without sticking.
Tempering eggs Add eggs to a warm, not hot, buttered pan and stir constantly over low heat. If you see lumps forming, pull the pan off the heat immediately and keep whisking.
-
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spoon and reaches 71°C/160°F. Do not let it boil.
~7 min
Constant stirring and low heat disperse the eggs so they thicken into a smooth custard instead of scrambling; 71°C/160°F ensures they are safely set.
Keep the heat low and stir without stopping: if the eggs get too hot they scramble instead of thickening into a smooth custard.
Tempering eggs Add eggs to a warm, not hot, buttered pan and stir constantly over low heat. If you see lumps forming, pull the pan off the heat immediately and keep whisking.
-
Take the skillet off the heat and keep stirring for 1 minute so the custard stays smooth as it cools slightly.
~1 min
Off-heat stirring releases residual heat so the custard cools evenly and stays lump-free rather than overcooking at the bottom.
-
Spoon the warm custard into a small dish and serve right away while it is soft and glossy.
~1 min