Lemon Tart with Meringue

This tart has three components — buttery shortcrust pastry, tangy lemon curd, and Italian meringue — each one worth mastering on its own. Together they create one of the most impressive and delicious desserts in the French repertoire.

Ingredients

• Pastry: 200g flour, 100g cold butter (cubed), 50g icing sugar, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp cold water
• Curd: 3 lemons (zest and juice), 150g sugar, 3 eggs + 2 yolks, 120g cold butter (cubed)
• Meringue: 3 egg whites, 180g sugar, 60ml water

Instructions

1. Make pastry: pulse flour, butter, and icing sugar until breadcrumb texture. Add yolk and water, press into a disc, refrigerate 30 mins.
2. Roll pastry to 3mm, line a 23cm tart tin. Blind bake at 180°C / 350°F for 15 mins (with beans), then 8 mins uncovered until golden.
3. Make curd: whisk lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, and yolks in a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until thickened (82°C / 180°F).
4. Remove from heat, whisk in cold butter a cube at a time. Strain and pour into tart shell. Chill 2 hours.
5. Make Italian meringue: boil sugar and water to 121°C / 250°F. Meanwhile, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Slowly pour hot syrup into whites while whisking. Beat until stiff and glossy.
6. Pipe or spoon meringue over tart. Toast with a kitchen torch until golden.
7. Serve same day for best results.