Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Pastry (pâte sucrée)

• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk (large)
• 2 tablespoons ice-cold water
• A pinch of salt

Lemon filling

• 4 eggs (large)
• 200 g caster sugar
• 4 lemons (washed, zest)
• 200 ml lemon juice (from the zested lemons; about 4-5 lemons)
• 100 g unsalted butter (cubed)

To finish

• Icing sugar (for dusting)

Method

Stage 1 - Pastry

1. Pulse the flour, butter, icing sugar and salt in a food processor until breadcrumb-textured.
2. Add the egg yolk and water; pulse until just coming together.
3. Tip out, bring together as a disc, wrap and chill 1 hour.

Stage 2 - Blind-bake

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
2. Roll the pastry to a 30 cm circle, 4 mm thick. Line a 23 cm tart tin; press into the corners; leave a 1 cm overhang.
3. Prick the base with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with baking beans.
4. Blind-bake for 15 minutes; remove beans and parchment, bake another 8-10 minutes until pale gold and fully cooked.
5. Trim the overhang flush with the tin while still warm.

Stage 3 - Filling

1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, zest and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
2. Set over a pan of barely-simmering water; cook gently, whisking continuously, for 10-12 minutes until thickened and glossy (the curd should coat the back of a spoon).
3. Off the heat, whisk in the cubed butter a few pieces at a time until fully incorporated.
4. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the zest and any lumps.

Stage 4 - Bake the tart

1. Lower the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
2. Pour the warm filling into the warm tart shell.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the centre.
4. Cool completely in the tin (at least 2 hours).

Stage 5 - Serve

1. Lift the tart out of the tin.
2. Dust with icing sugar.
3. Cut with a hot knife (dipped in hot water and wiped) for clean slices.