Lemon Curd For Lemon Pavlova

Our answer

Nigella's Lemon Pavlova (from AT MY TABLE) can be made with a good store-bought lemon curd. You can also make the curd by using Nigella's Passionfruit Curd recipe and switching the passionfruit for the zest and juice of two lemons.

The time taken for a curd to thicken will vary according to the size of the pan and the heat underneath the pan. The eggs need to reach a certain temperture to thicken and we suspect that the eggs had not quite reached the correct temperature. As the acid of the lemon juice helps to reduce the risk of the eggs curdling, you need a low heat but do not need to be too timid and the mixture can be brought almost up to simmering point. Just make sure that you stir continuously to prevent any mixture around the edges of the pan from over cooking. If you have a digital probe thermometer then the mixture needs to get to 76c (170F) to thicken. Also bear in mind that the curd will thicken more as it cools and homemade curd will never be as thick as a store bought curd.