Who doesn't like a classic French Tart au Citron? The perfect balance between crispy biscuit, sweet and silky meringue and sour Lemon Curd - simply delicious! I had my first Tart au Citron, in Chile, known as Pie de Limón, from my grandmother's factory. There, the big difference to the French version is that instead of lemon curd a mixture of sweetened, condensed milk and lemon juice is being used. So, probably easier in preparing, but definitely sweeter and heavier in consistency than Lemon Curd. I am a big fan of both, depending on my mood and how much time I have, but a well-made lemon curd is just glorious! If you do not want to make the whole tart, but you feel like having some Lemon Curd, you can simply use this recipe of Lemon Curd and have it as a topping for some brioche or toast, try it on top of pancakes - it will truly change your world!!
For 1 Tart you will need:
For the base (pâte brisée):
200g flour
100g butter (not too cold)
1 egg
5g salt
5g sugar
10ml water
For the Lemon Curd:
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
3 lemons, juice and zest (only from 1 lemon)
30g butter
For the Italian meringue
90g water
240g caster sugar
3 egg whites (around 120g)
Start with the tart base by sieving the flour with the sugar and salt together. Take the butter and mix it into the flour until you get a crumbly consistency. Whisk the water and egg together and then pour it into the flour mixture, first with a spatula and then knead the dough with your hand. Once the dough has a smooth texture flatten it out, wrap it into cling film and leave it in the fridge to rest for 30-60 minutes.
Prepare the lemon curd by grating 1 lemon and juicing 3 lemons. Pour the lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar into a bowl. At the same time bring water in a pan to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn the heat down, place the bowl with the lemon juice mixture on top of the pan (it should not touch the water) and mix everything. When the sugar is fully dissolved, take the bowl off the stove and strain the whole mixture into a new bowl, so you get rid of the lemon zest, and let it cool down.
Preheat the oven to 175°C. The biscuit base should be fully rested now. Take your tart mould and grease it slightly with butter and flour. Roll out the base really thin with enough flour. Then take it and fill it into the mould. Push the sides, edges and bottom firmly against the mould, so the dough is spread evenly. Put it back into the fridge for another 10 minutes. Cut off the edges and with a fork make some wholes into the bottom. Place the tart base in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it is evenly baked.
Continue with the lemon curd. Take the sugar-lemon mixture, add the eggs and whisk them together so everything is fully combined. Then again place the bowl over a pan with boiling water (the bowl shouldn't touch the water) and then stir everything with a spatula. Keep on stirring continuously with the spatula until the mixture thickens up (this means that the eggs are fully cooked), this will take a couple of minutes. When it has fully thickened up, place it into a bowl, mix in the butter and then place cling film on top, so it is touching it, and let it cool down.
In the meantime the base should be fully baked - let it cool down completely. Start with your Italian meringue by pouring water and the sugar into a pan. Bring it to a boil, do not stir it because the sugar will start to crystalize - better way is just moving the pan. In the meantime whisk up the egg whites until they are almost fully whipped. When the sugar reached 118-119°C, take it off the stove and pour it slowly from the side to the egg whites, while you whisk the egg whites on low speed with a hand mixer or standing whisking machine. Keep on whisking until the whole mixture has fully cooled down, has a shiny colour and is at room temperature.
Now the assembling starts: Take your tart base and fill it evenly with the fully cooled down Lemon Curd. Then place the Italian meringue into a piping bag and pipe it on top of the lemon curd in a design or shape you prefer. You can as well simply spread the Italian meringue on top of the lemon curd. Now either take a blow torch and caramelize the top layer of Italian meringue until it has an even caramel-brown-colour, or place the tart under the grill for 30-45 seconds until it has reached the desired colour - be careful to not burn the meringue. Place the tart in the fridge for 30 minutes and it is ready to be served!
Comments