Meyer Lemon Curd:

Did you know: a Meyer Lemon isn't really a lemon at all? It was discovered near Beijing, China back in the early 1900s and brought to the United states in 1908. Though it was originally thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, recent DNA tests have shown that it's more likely a cross between a lemon and a sweet orange. Another fun citrus fact: there are only three original citrus families, Mandarin + Citrons + Pummelos, all other citrus fruits are hybrid crosses between these three groups. Which is why a Meyer Lemon is not so much a lemon. If you have ever had the fortunate chance to eat a Meyer Lemon, you know exactly what I mean when I say that it has fantastic eating qualities. Its thin, delicate, aromatic peel is perfect for sweeter applications, while its juicy, sweet flesh performs all the same seasoning tasks as its tart cousins, the Eureka or Lisbon lemons.
I count down the days each year until Meyer Lemons are in season (November to February), the market by my house has kept a steady supply of these little gems all winter and I have been using them in all sorts of cooking applications, from savory to sweet. Seeing as they are about to make their grand exit for the year, I am planning to make one last batch of lemon curd for the season, hopefully enough to last me for a few months! Though you can make curd with any citrus variety, I prefer a Meyer Lemon Curd above all others, it's a beautiful pale yellow color which acts a good reminder that Spring is nearing and the sweeter flesh leads to a much sweeter curd, without needing as much added sugar.

Curds a creamy despite having little or no cream in them. Their luscious texture are actually the result of cooked beaten eggs. Unlike scrambled eggs, which clump up and bind together, a curd smoothes out with the addition of sugar, which isolates the protein strands and keeps them from binding so tightly.

(Note: Curds can be a little finicky while cooking, since the main ingredient is egg protein its very easy to develop small lumps. To fix the issue, or just avoid it all together, you can do 2 things: 1. Cook the mixture over a double boiler. Without direct heat, the curd will come up to temperature a little slower, with enough stirring, you may be able to avoid any egg clumps. 2. Cook the mixture over direct heat in a thick bottomed pan. The temperature is easier to control this way and if any egg clumps do appear, you can easily strain them out. The second option is my preferred method, I try to avoid double boilers if I can, they bring back too many bad memories of made-to-order hollandaise gone bad. Ah the joys of being a professional cook.)

Meyer Lemon Curd
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Beat the eggs, yolks, sugar and salt in a small saucepan until smooth and light colored.
2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts, about 2 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes, or until curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The curd should resemble a thick hollandaise.
4. If you have developed any cooked egg bits/lumps, strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer and into a chilled bowl.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the lemon curd.

Enjoy.

If you aren't the type who likes to go to the refrigerator for a spoon-full of lemon curd as a mid-day treat, I recommend adding the curd to a tart shell for an easy and utterly delicious mid-winter dessert. I also love the ideas for Semifreddo and Macaroons at Cannelle et Vanille. Yum!