Tarte au citron
Tarte Au Citron
This is one of those classic desserts equally at home in local
bakeries or fine dining restaurants. This is my version of the
recipe served by Marco Pierre White at his famous restaurant,
Harveys.
Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 270ml lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon finely chopped
- 270g caster sugar
- 7 eggs
- 225ml double cream
- FOR THE PASTRY:
- 500g plain flour
- 175g icing sugar
- 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- Grated zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 eggs, beaten, plus extra to egg wash the pastry
Instructions
1. For the filling, heat all but 100g of the sugar, the lemon
juice and zest until completely dissolved. Take off the
heat and allow to cool slightly. 2. Whisk the eggs and remaining sugar until pale. Stir in
the cooked lemon and the cream, then put aside for the
flavours to infuse. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. 3. For the pastry, rub together the lemon zest, icing sugar, flour and
butter. Add the eggs and knead until smooth, being
careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap in cling film
and refrigerate for 30 mins.4. Roll out the pastry and line a buttered 20cm loose bottom tin. Prick all over with a fork and refrigerate for a
further 30 mins. This will prevent shrinkage. 5. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill
with coins (or baking beans) to prevent rising. Make sure the sides as
well as the bottom are covered and bake for 10 mins. 6. Remove the coins, trim off any excess pastry, and return to the oven for a further 10 mins. 7. Finally, brush the case with egg wash and cook for 5
more minutes to seal. Remove and reduce the heat to
120C. 8. Warm the filling slightly in a pan, being careful not to
scramble the eggs. This will reduce the baking time
significantly. 9. Carefully fill the pastry case with the warm filling and
bake for 30 mins. Cool the tart on a wire rack. 10. The tart can be served as is, or you can dust with icing sugar and glaze using a blow torch to add some crunch. Serve with crème fraiche.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 4