Lemon Curd

The term lemon curd has a long history in British culinary tradition, though its meaning has varied over the years. Early on, it meant literally curds—or cheese—arrived at by adding lemon juice to fresh cream and then separating the curds from the whey. What remains a mystery is when those simple curds became the creamy citrus custard made from lemon juice, eggs, and butter that was served at Downton—and is still served today.