How to Make Perfect Lemon Curd in the Microwave
No matter how many flawless custards or mirror glazes you’ve made in your life, some cooking tricks seem to just get in trouble, especially those that depend on precise temperature control. If you need to evenly heat a delicate substance to a certain temperature, the microwave may seem like a terrible choice, but it is often the best tool for the job.
Traditional heating methods – steamers, ovens, pans, and the like – heat food through conduction, so the outer layers will necessarily heat up before the center, even with constant whipping or stirring. Uneven heating is the enemy of temperature-dependent processes like tempering chocolate or caramelizing sugar, so an old electric stove or an uncalibrated oven can actually work against you. Steamers and water baths can effectively soften picky heat sources, but they can add extra moisture to anything you cook. In some cases, a little water doesn’t really matter, but in others it’s the kiss of death.
If you’re trying to heat a homogeneous liquid to a certain temperature as quickly and evenly as possible, the humble microwave won’t let you down. Microwaves cause water, fat, and sugar molecules to spin madly, releasing heat, so the inside of the liquid cooks at about the same speed as the outside. (This does not apply to solid foods, especially frozen foods like Hot Pockets , whose molecules are bound into rigid structures that prevent them from spinning at a constant speed.) What’s more, they are usually so powerful that any temperature increases them. Once happens in minutes.
Microwaving the custard may sound like cheating, but the result will transform you. I recently started microwaving lemon curd and will never be back. As for the custard, the lemon curd is pretty cool; it does not need to be hardened, and all this acid contributes to the formation of a smooth emulsion. This indulgent nature makes lemon curd the perfect example for this method. If the microwave makes a huge difference to an already simple process (and it really is), just think about what it can do for more annoying processes; Think of it as a gateway to the wonderful world of low pressure microwave custard.
Lemon curd in the microwave
The proportions below are perfect for my taste – super-tart, with plenty of salt to balance the sugar, and soft enough to be eaten like a pudding straight out of a can – but if you’re in a serious relationship with a particular person, the Lemon Recipe curd, use one. Just don’t skip the microwave, that’s the whole point. A quick-reading electronic thermometer will help you determine the temperature, but skip it if you are confident in your ability to appreciate a perfectly cooked custard.
A note on lemon size: Lately ALDI lemons were absolute units, so two of them yielded a generous half-cup of juice and a mountain of zest. If your lemons are smaller, you may need three or even four. This will make about one and a half glasses of cottage cheese, which will ideally fill a converted jar of jam; it scales well, so do as much as you like.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- The zest and juice of two large or three medium-sized lemons; you need about ½ cup (120 milliliters / 120 grams) of juice
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- ½ stick (4 oz., 114 grams, 4 tablespoons) salted butter
Instructions:
Measure the sugar and salt into a large microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Add the lemon zest directly to the sugar and salt, then rub with your fingertips until everything smells good with lemon.
Pour in egg, egg yolk and lemon juice; blitz with a blender to connect. (If you don’t have a blender, beat vigorously.) Try and add more sugar if necessary.
Transfer the egg, lemon and sugar mixture to the microwave and heat on full power in one minute increments, stirring between bursts, until the temperature reaches 185 ° F (85 ° C). Depending on your microwave oven, this will take three to ten minutes, and a specific batch took about five minutes to cook. It’s pretty hard to digest the curd in a minute, but if you’re worried about it, just work at 30-second intervals.
Stir the butter into the hot lemon and egg mixture until completely dissolved, then give the curd a final blitz using a blender or whisk. If you see lumps of boiled egg or just prefer a completely smooth finished product, pour the curd through a fine mesh sieve before transferring to a storage container. Try again, adding more sugar, salt, or lemon juice as needed.
Cover and refrigerate to room temperature before refrigerating. It will last a couple of weeks in the fridge, but if you’re worried about longevity, lemon curd freezes just fine.
Having lemon curd in the summertime makes it easy to make flavorful refreshing desserts without spending hours sweating over a hot stove. I especially love it as the main flavor in lemon cheesecake or pie, but it also works great for pannacotta or vanilla ice cream. In fact, you can put it on anything – or just eat it with a spoon from a jar.