Illusive lemon curd

My friend and student Neil, who lives in Lake Wylie, South Carolina was over visiting recently. I've talked about Neil previously – he's a great cook and his signature dish in recent times has been Orange Tiramisu – check out “Your secret weapon – Tiramisu Tweaks” 18 November 2018 for the recipe. I then gave him the recipe for the lemon version. However there's a problem, he can't find lemon curd where he lives in the USA.

Here's the answer :

Microwave Lemon Curd

Makes about 450g/1lb

115g/4oz butter, cubed

Finely grated rind and juice

of three large lemons

225g/8oz caster sugar

3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

Put the butter, lemon rind and juice in a large microwave-proof bowl. Cook on high for 3 minutes.

Add the sugar to the bowl and stir for 1 minute until it has almost dissolved. Return to the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes, stirring every 1 minute.

Beat the eggs and the yolk together, then whisk into the lemon mixture, a little at a time.

Cook on medium (40% power), for 10-12 minutes, whisking every 2 minutes, until the curd thickens. You will find that your curd has white cords from the eggs – pour the curd through a sieve and discard before filling the jars.

Ladle into hot sterilized jars, cover and seal. When cool, store in the fridge. Use within 2 months.

Hints and tips coming next ...