Making lemon curd

Tempering eggs is a critical step in making custard, or any occasion where you need to cook eggs over a stove, such as an ice cream base, lemon curd, pastry cream, pudding, etc. To “temper” eggs means to slowly and gently bring the temperature of the eggs up as they’re combined with other ingredients and cooked. If they’re heated too quickly, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

First, heat milk, cream or whatever liquid you’re using in a saucepan just until it starts steaming, and then add it in a slow steady stream to the eggs while whisking constantly. After they are combined, you can return the mixture to the saucepan and continue cooking until thickened, stirring almost constantly. Some eggs may still form lumps as they cook, so I recommend straining the mixture so that it’s silky smooth.