Bon Lemon: Something Tasty: Lemon Curd with Guest Blogger Chef Jen

For your Daily Dose of Something Tasty, we have a guest blogger: Chef Jen! Chef Jen and I became fast friends upon my return to Olympia. (Mostly because she is a fabulously fun and considerate person.) She has the skills and ease in the kitchen that make her get-togethers not to be missed, for the food, presentation, and most of all the company. Today, she is going to show us how to make lemon curd. Yummy!

Chef Jen says: I feel very honored to be asked by my proprietress friend, Miss Amy Evans, to "guest" blog on her cool website, Bon Lemon...I will admit the pressure got to me a little and I had a bit of a block, but in the end the lemons inspired me! I have made a quick and easy lemon curd from one of my favorite cookbook authors and chef's, Alice Waters. This recipe comes from her fabulous and informative book "The Art of Simple Food." I highly recommend the cookbook, it has wonderful recipes but also great instruction about many cooking techniques which tends to help inspire me.

The recipe is as follows:

4 lemons, grated for zest and juiced (about 1/2 cup juice)
2 eggs, room temp
3 eggs yolks, room temp
2 T milk, (I used whole milk)
1/2 C super fine sugar
1/4 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, cold and cut up

Zest and juice the lemons, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add your eggs, yolks, milk, sugar and salt. Beat until all is incorporated then mix in lemon juice and place in a medium heavy bottom, non-reactive sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken then add the butter until melted, KEEP STIRRING, DO NOT let it boil. When curd is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, pour in a jar or small bowl and let cool completely before storing in the fridge. Will keep up to two weeks.

I love this recipe because I have usually only made recipes that require a double boiler and this does not. Simplifies the recipe and less dishes, awesome!

*A cook's note...I love having this in the fridge. Put it on ice cream for a quick dessert, dip with shortbread cookies or biscotti, on top of fresh berries! This particular time, I added it to homemade vanilla frozen yogurt and it gave the yogurt the most luxurious flavor, yum! Or play around and invent a new use for good ol' lemon curd, it really is delicious! Plus the beautiful lemon color will give you a little smile!