Tarte au Citron
Crisp, buttery sweet shortcrust pastry filled with a sharp, silky lemon curd, topped with glossy, soft and light Swiss meringue torched until golden. It's sharp, sweet, and rich all at once!
Ingredients
For the pâte sablée
- 250 gr plain flour sifted
- 150 gr unsalted butter room temperature
- 80 gr icing sugar sifted
- 50 gr egg
- 1 pinch salt
For the lemon curd filling
- 3 egg
- 100 gr caster sugar
- 120 ml lemon juice about 4-5 lemons
- 2 lemons for the zest
- 80 gr unsalted butter
- 15 gr corn starch
For the Swiss meringue
- 4 egg
- 200 gr caster sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Equipment
- food processor or mixing bowl
- baking beans or dried beans
- saucepan for bain-marie
- kitchen thermometer helpful but not essential
Instructions
1. Make the pâte sablée / sweet shortcrust pastry
- Put the flour, butter, icing sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse to breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse until it just comes together, don't overwork. Turn out, bring into a disc, wrap and chill at least 1 hour. (Full method on the pâte sablée page.)
2. Roll and line
- Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm. Line the fluted tart ring (set on the baking mat), pressing gently into the corners without stretching. Trim the edges, prick the base, and chill 30 minutes.
3. Blind bake
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans, and bake 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, then bake another 8–10 minutes until pale golden and dry. Patch any cracks with leftover raw pastry while hot. Cool.
4. Make the lemon curd
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and cornstarch in a double boiler. Add the lemon juice and zest. Set over barely simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water) and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 10–15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Off the heat, stir in the butter until melted and glossy. Pour into the cooled case while still warm, smooth the top, cool to room temperature, then chill at least 2 hours until set. (Full method on the lemon curd page.)
5. Make the Swiss meringue
- Put the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves completely, about 3–5 minutes (rub between your fingers, it shouldn't feel grainy; about 70°C). Off the heat, whip with an electric mixer on high for 5–7 minutes until stiff, glossy, and cooled to room temperature.
6. Top and torch
- Spoon or pipe the meringue over the chilled filling, rustic or neat, making sure it touches the pastry edge all the way round to stop it shrinking. Torch until golden in patches, keeping it moving. (No torch? A hot grill for 1–2 minutes, watching closely.) Rest 10 minutes, then slice with a hot, dry knife.
Notes
- Swiss meringue vs Italian vs French: Swiss is the most stable for this. Italian meringue (with hot sugar syrup) is fancier but fussier. French meringue (just whipped whites and sugar) weeps and doesn't hold as well.
- The curd needs to be properly set before you add the meringue, or it'll slide around when you try to spread it.
- Meringue weeping: If liquid pools under your meringue, the curd was too warm when you topped it, or the meringue wasn't cooked enough over the bain-marie.
- Make ahead: You can make the tart base and lemon curd a day ahead. Add the meringue a few hours before serving for the best texture.
- No blowtorch? The grill works, but watch it carefully. It can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.