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Lemon Meringue Tart

Maison Mirabeau
There's nothing better than a classic lemon meringue tart. With tart citrus and sugary, creamy meringue, these small bites of heaven are sure to impress (if you don't eat them all yourself!).
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • mixing bowls, stainless steel large
  • offset spatula
  • rolling pin stainless steel 18-inch
  • stockpot with lid (6-quart)
  • whisk 12-inch stainless steel
  • probe thermometer
  • stand mixer (3.5 quart)
  • culinary torch (butane)

Ingredients
  

For the Pastry:

  • 250 g flour plus extra for dusting
  • a pinch of Salt
  • 125 g butter in cubes
  • 20 g caster sugar
  • 2 egg yolks from free-range chickens
  • 3 tbsp Cold Water

For the Filling:

  • 65 g cornflour
  • 325 g caster sugar
  • 150 ml lemon juice
  • 300 ml Water
  • 1 Lemon, Zest Only unwaxed, ideally
  • 80 g Cold Butter in cubes
  • 4 egg yolks from free-range chickens

For the Meringue:

  • Meringue
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 50 ml Water
  • 3 egg whites

Instructions
 

For the Pastry

  • Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix before adding butter. Using your fingertips, rub the flour with the butter until you get fine breadcrumbs, then mix in the sugar.
  • Add the egg yolks and water and use a spatula to incorporate.
  • Once the mixture starts to come together turn it out onto a clean surface and knead for 30 seconds max. You should have a nice smooth ball. Flatten it slightly, wrap it in cling film, and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough to the thickness of a pound coin. Using your rolling pin to pick the dough up, unroll the dough over the tart case and lift it into position, pushing the edges in as you go.
  • Use your rolling pin to cut the edges and return to the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This will help to prevent shrinkage in the oven.
  • Preheat your oven to 160°C, remove from the fridge and spike the base with a fork, line the case with baking paper and weigh it down with baking beans or similar. Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove the baking beans. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until the base is golden brown. Remove and cool the tart base.

For the Filling:

  • Mix the cornflour, sugar, lemon juice and water in a pan and cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until thickened. It will look like a thick, dull-white paste.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs. Once combined and a lovely deep yellow colour, add the butter and lemon zest and stir until incorporated.
  • By now, your tart case should have chilled sufficiently. Pour the filling in and set it aside to cool completely. Once cool, you can refrigerate until required for up to 2 days.

For the Meringue:

  • Mix the sugar and water in a pan over high heat with a probe thermometer so you can see when to take it out. It needs to be 121°C (250°F).
  • Once it reaches about 110°C (230°F), start whisking the meringue in the mixer and once it reaches stiff peaks you can add the sugar mixture to it. Be careful not to pour the hot sugar straight only the whisk as it will fly out and burn you!
  • Once you’ve added all the sugar mix, leave it to run until it’s cool.
  • Now you are ready to finish your tart. Lump on the meringue and make some pretty patterns, then brown with a blowtorch. If you don’t have one, you can use a preheated grill, but watch it closely!
Keyword Citrus, French Desserts, Lemon, Meringue, Tarts
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