I began with the idea of an uncooked lemon curd. Blending sugar into eggs "cooks" them. Blending lemon into eggs "cooks" them. Blending them all together to see what would happen was a no-brainer. We put the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, salt and cayenne into a bowl, stirred them together and refrigerated the mixture overnight. The next morning our ideas proved wrong. The mixture was more liquid than what we started with. No problem. I put the lemon mixture in a blender. I put butter into a pot set over medium high heat. I let the butter melt and then brown. I turned on the blender and drizzled the hot butter into the cold lemon mixture. The butter emulsified into the mixture but failed to "cook" the curd. Undeterred I divided the lemon base between two quart containers, covered them, and put them into a Cvap Cook and Hold set at 64°C. I set my timer for 1 hour. When it sounded the curd was just beginning to set. I added another hour and waited. This time the curd was perfect. It jiggled just a bit when I shook the containers. It was definitely cooked. I put the containers into an ice bath. When the curd was cold I tasted. Wow. I smiled. It is something special. This curd is rich and spoonable. The lemon flavor is fresh and uncooked. It has a lightness and brightness that you simply don't find in traditional lemon curd. It just took some time and thought to figure out how to "cook" it.
Brown Butter Lemon Curd
400 grams Meyer lemon Juice
400 grams sugar
400 grams whole eggs (8 large)
4 grams salt
0.75 grams cayenne450 grams butter
Preheat a CVAP to 64°C/147°F with "0" browning
Put the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, salt and cayenne in a blender and blend them together. Dice the butter and put it in a pot set over medium high heat. Once it melts, stir constantly until the the butter is a golden brown and has a nutty scent. Turn the blender on low, remove the top and slowly drizzle in the butter until it has all ben absorbed and emulsified. Divide the mixture between two heatproof quart containers and put them in the CVap for 2 hours, or until the curd is cooked through and jiggles slightly in the centers when you shake the containers. Transfer them to an ice bath and cool completely. Lemon curd will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Years Past
January 21, 2005
