---
title: "Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Lemon curd"
description: "A jar of lemon curd in the fridge offers another alternative to the question, ‘what shall I spread on my toast this morning’. But there are other uses for it: as a filling for macarons, cakes or pavlova, as a topping for ice cream or spread on scones or waffles. If you do spread it on toast, don’t butter it first: it’s plenty buttery already and will melt into hot toast."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "COOK"
author: "Tony Jackman"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tonyjackman/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-30-lockdown-recipe-of-the-day-lemon-curd/"
published: "2020-10-30T09:42:56"
updated: "2020-11-13T11:08:25"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 270
---

# Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Lemon curd

> A jar of lemon curd in the fridge offers another alternative to the question, ‘what shall I spread on my toast this morning’. But there are other uses for it: as a filling for macarons, cakes or pavlova, as a topping for ice cream or spread on scones or waffles. If you do spread it on toast, don’t butter it first: it’s plenty buttery already and will melt into hot toast.

By Tony Jackman · Published 30 October 2020, 11:42 SAST · Updated 13 November 2020, 13:08 SAST

## Content

*This recipe accompanies [this column](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-30-lemons-bright-and-beautiful-and-ripe-for-sharing/) on lemons*

**Ingredients**

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbsp)

⅓ cup lemon juice (roughly the juice of 3 lemons)

⅔ cup white sugar

4 extra large egg yolks (reserve whites for a meringue or omelette)

Pinch of salt

85 g soft butter

**Method**

Zest 1 lemon first and set the zest aside, then squeeze the juice of 3 lemons into a bowl, strained through a fine sieve.

Add to the bowl the zest, sugar, egg yolks, and salt. (*Not* the butter.)

Have to hand the softened butter for whisking in after it’s cooked.

Use a double boiler or, if you don’t have one, a metal bowl over a pot containing about 5 cm of water. Turn on the heat and, when it boils, reduce to a very low heat and place the bowl in it. *Immediately* start whisking, using a hand-held whisk (it’s worth the effort). Continue whisking for 9 to 10 minutes and the curd thickens.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a bit at a time until all is incorporated.

Spoon into a sterilised jar and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. It will thicken considerably in the fridge. And your toast will be very happy. **DM/TGIFood**

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