Sous Vide Lemon Curd

The beauty of using the Anova Precision Cooker for lemon curd, which uses egg yolks to thicken the tart spread, is that you cannot overheat the yolks. Why are overheated yolks a problem? Because overheated yolks mean cooked yolks, not something you want in a lemon curd! Once cooked and cooled (the curd thickens as it cools), you will find yourself eating this by the spoonful, but you can also spread it on toast in the morning, spoon it into pre-baked tart shells for dessert, or even use it as the filling in a layer cake. The uses are limited only by your imagination. Please note: Although this recipe yields 2 servings, it makes about 2 cups of lemon curd.

Author

Barbara Freda

I grew up in a cooking family and after getting a degree in Spanish and Anthropology, realized what I really wanted to do was to go to culinary school. After working in a NYC bank for a few years, I managed to get to culinary school and got my first jobs in NYC kitchens, including a long stint at Union Square Cafe in its earliest years. After (sadly) leaving NYC, I realized I needed to step away from the 80-hour work weeks, so I left the heat of the kitchen for the cool of the computer keyboard: I started writing about food, the business of food, and technology in the food industry, as well as teaching cooking classes. Recipe development remains one of my top loves, and the opportunity to develop recipes for Anova has been fun every step of the way.

Prep Time: 08:10

Recipe Time: 00:45

Temperature : 179.6F / 82C

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• Juice of 4 lemons
• 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 179ºF (82ºC).
2. Whisk together the sugar, butter, and lemon juice. Continue to whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
3. Transfer the egg mixture to a large zipper lock bag and seal using the water immersion technique. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 45 minutes.

Finishing Steps

1. A few minutes before the timer goes off, prepare an ice bath. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Shake the bag vigorously to stir the contents and then immediately transfer to the ice bath. Once the curd is completely cool, transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight.
2. The next day, pour the curd into a bowl and whisk to ensure that the curd is smooth. Use in pastries or as a spread, as desired. To store, cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.