Lemon tart

dough*:
300 g all-purpose flour
70 g powdered sugar (or caster sugar)
200 g butter, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
2 egg yolks 

1 small egg yolk + 10 ml milk for egg wash

lemon  curd:
150 ml lemon juice
1 organic lemon zest, finely grated
150 g golden caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
3 eggs
2 egg yolk
175 g cold butter, cubed

meringue:
3 large egg whites
150 g white sugar
pinch of vanilla powder
pinch of salt


You can also serve it without the meringue with these variations:
- small tarts – whipped cream BY HAND mixed with a bit of vanilla and a pinch of light brown sugar or with seasonal berries (raspberries, blackberries, but NOT strawberries). 
- big tart – only lemon peel and pistachios and in season - blueberries or firm raspberries, but also beautiful whipped cream.


Prepare the dough. In a bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and eggs, and knead just until incorporated and smooth (don’t over mix or it will be hard and not flaky). Wrap with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 200°C. Prepare a 26 cm tart pan or several smaller ones. Roll out the pastry 2-3 mm thick.  Place in the pan and press the edges against the pan. Prick with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 12 minutes. Remove the beans and the paper. Brush with eggwash, and bake another 7-10 minutes until golden. Remove and cool completely. 

For the curd, pour about 5 cm of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Place a bowl on the pot so it doesn’t touch the water (or use a double boiler) and turn the heat down to medium.

Pour the juice into the bowl, add the zest, sugar, salt, and eggs. With a small whisk or wooden spoon, beat for 6-8 minutes until the sugar has melted and the mixture is homogeneous and has thickened. It is ready when a line remains on the back of the spoon after you run your finger down it. The mixture begins to become thicker and creamier.

When ready, remove the bowl from the pot, place it in an ice bath, and cool slightly so that the cream is pleasantly warm. It mustn’t be hot or too cold - body temperature.

Pour the mixture into a blender and, while running slowly, add the cubes of butter – one by one – until melted. You can also do this with a stick blender until all the butter is incorporated. Pour into the tart shell/s and refrigerate for 9-12 hours.

Before serving, prepare the meringue. Put sugar, egg whites, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Place on a kettle of boiling water (like a double boiler with just 1,5 cm of water). When the water is bubbling, place the bowl of egg whites on top, stir, and heat for about 3-5 minutes until the sugar is completely melted and the eggs are hot. Check with your fingertips for graininess. When done, remove from the heat and beat on high speed until the mass becomes white and firm and is at a comfortable temperature.

Put on the tart in a nice design, caramelize it with a torch, and serve.

• This amount will be sufficient for 2 x 23 cm tarts, as I like to roll the dough very thin. I usually make one as lemon tart, then roll out the other half, and freeze it for later use. Or, make cookies. Or, even another tart.