Tarte au Citron

I love a good lemon tart but believe me for some reason it is exceedingly hard to find a good recipe. This one works exceedingly well and is delicious too. Where were you all that time?

I often scatter it with a light layer of sugar after it has cooled and then blow torch it to get that divine thin crisp caramel layer on top. Alternatively you could chill it and dust it with icing sugar or just serve it as it is for that matter.

If you cannot find good quality ready rolled all butter sweet shortcrust pastry, or if you prefer to make your own, then a good recipe for pate sucree is all follows:

Ingredients

175 g plain flour
125 g unsalted butter (cold from the fridge)
30 g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1-2 tbsp water.

Method

Place the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor with the pastry making attachment. Pulse until the texture of coarse breadcrumbs; don't over do it or it will become oily as the butter melts. With the motor running, add the egg yolk and water, adding only enough so that the dough comes together into a ball. Gather it up and refrigerate wrapped in cling film for 30 minutes before rolling it out. It will be easier to handle after a chilling and resting.

(Alternatively the pastry can be made up to 48 hours in advance and it freezes well. In which case it must slowly come up to a cool room temperature before you attempt to roll it out).

If it breaks up a bit when rolling it out, simply press it back together in the tin with your hands/fingers; all will be well.

Serves 8-12:

Ingredients:

Ready rolled sweet short crust pastry (all butter)
1 egg white

Lemon filling

4 juicy lemons
4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
250 g sugar
225 ml crème fraiche
1 25 cm tart mould with a loose bottom (halve the filling recipe for a 20 cm tart)

Method:

Line the tart mould with greaseproof paper leaving it protruding about 5 cm above the tin, and then with the pastry. Leave the pastry a good cm above the top of the sides of the tin - this will allow you to get much more filling in. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper, pushing it well up against the pastry sides and fill with white beans (baking blind), pushing them also against the sides so that they do not collapse while the tart is baking. Place in an oven on a preheated baking tray at 180 and bake for 10 minutes, then lift out the beans and the paper and bake for a further 10 minutes. If the pastry rises from the bottom be bold with it and push it down with your hand. Whatever you do though do not prick it with a fork as the lemon liquid will run out.

After the second baking, brush the pastry thinly with egg white and place back in to the oven, now turned down to 150 degrees. Leave it in there to dry while you prepare the lemon filling. This step will make sure that the pastry remains crisp after the lemon filling has been added. If the sides of the pastry look too rough or uneven, neaten them up with a bread knife.

Finely grate the zest of two lemons and mix them in a bowl with the sugar, juice of 4 lemons, egg yolks, whole eggs, and crème fraiche with a balloon whisk. If the mixture seems too sour, add a little more sugar. Pour the mixture into a large jug.

(The recipe can be prepared in advance at this point, the jug of lemon filling kept in the fridge for 48 hours and the pastry case kept in a large freezer bag somewhere cool and dry).

Remove the tart mould from the oven and pop a baking tray under it in case the lemon filling spills or leaks; turn the oven down again to 130 degrees. Pull out the oven rack with tart mould on it ½ way and pour in as much of the filling as you can. Slide it back very carefully and bake for 1 hour. Test for doneness with a skewer which should come out clean when inserted in the centre. If not bake for another 10 minutes.

Leave to cool before serving. Looks and tastes great with a ribbon of raspberry coulis around each slice.