Lemon Custard

Recipe Makes: about 2 ½ cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes

Total Time: 20-25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ tbsp lemon zest

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 stick (½ cup butter)

1 cup lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)

Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. To start the lemon custard, wash the lemons and zest them.  But be careful to not get the white part of the peal.  Juice the lemons and set aside. 
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs and sugar together over medium heat. Continue to whisk until the eggs and sugar are fully combined.
3. Continue whisking and add in lemon juice, zest, and salt.  Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth. 
4. Cut the butter into tbsp sized pieces and add them into the custard one by one.  Making sure that each piece fully melts and incorporated before you add in a new one. 
5. As you whisk, make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies of the pot, to make sure that everything is being combined evenly.
6. Continue to cook/mix the custard until it starts to thicken (should be the consistency of pudding).  Should be about 10-15 minutes from the start of cooking.  The custard continues to thicken as it cools.
7. Carefully take the custard off heat and use a mesh strainer and spatula to strain the custard.  This is an important step because you are removing all the lemon zest and the cooked egg bits.
8. Cool and refrigerate.  Enjoy!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

Gather all ingredients.

To start the lemon custard, wash the lemons and zest them.  But be careful to not get the white part of the peal.  Juice the lemons and set aside.  In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs and sugar together over medium heat. Continue to whisk until the eggs and sugar are fully combined.

Continue whisking and add in lemon juice, zest, and salt.  Whisk until everything is well combined and smooth. 

Cut the butter into tbsp sized pieces and add them into the custard one by one.  Making sure that each piece fully melts and incorporated before you add in a new one.  As you whisk, make sure you get into all the nooks and crannies of the pot, to make sure that everything is being combined evenly.

Continue to cook/mix the custard until it starts to thicken (should be the consistency of pudding).  Should be about 10-15 minutes from the start of cooking.  The custard continues to thicken as it cools.

Carefully take the custard off heat and use a mesh strainer and spatula to strain the custard.  This is an important step because you are removing all the lemon zest and the cooked egg bits. Cool and refrigerate.  Enjoy!