Tarte au Citron

Looks delicious!



Hurry - 1 piece left!

Before I get into trouble with Mssrs. Roux - this is my tarte au citron, and the pretty one above is the full glory from their book on Patisserie.

I made this a couple weeks ago for a bbq - the dessert is surprisingly simple to make but tricky to bake. The amount of filling was enough for 2 tartes, so I ended up having a citrony week. I added an extra lemon and cut down on the amount of sugar from the book. The reduced quantity is given below, but you can adapt to taste. I don't think it affects the texture.

The main trick is in the baking - for the first tart the oven temperature was a little too high, and the custard was verging on grainy rather than creamy. For the second tart, I set the oven at gas mark 2, and baked for the time specified, which resulted in a creamy filling. I baked it until it was almost not wobbly in the centre and pale on top but not much more than that. It is a good idea to let the oven cool right down after you have baked the pastry.

Given the headaches with the delicate custard, I have to say you can achieve a similar texture from a key lime pie filling with unsophisticated condensed milk and lemons!



Tarte au Citron :

Grease a flan ring with butter (8" x 1.5")
Pre heat oven to gas 7 and place flan ring in freezer for 10 mins.l
Roll out pastry to a thickness of 1/4" and fit into the flan ring crimping the edges so that you have 1/2" of pastry standing above the edge of the ring. Leave to rest in 'fridge for 15 mins.

Filling: 3 lemons
6 medium fresh free range eggs
4 oz castor sugar
8fl oz double cream
egg wash made with 1 egg yolk and 1 tbs milk

1. In a bowl grate the lemon zests and squeeze the juice.

2. Break eggs in a separate bowl and beat with the sugar untill well blended.

3. In a further bowl whisk the cream lightly until slightly thickened.

4. Stir lemon zest/juice into eggs/sugar and then whisk in cream. Place in 'fridge.

5. Baking Blind: now there are different views on this: I suggest simply pricking the base and sides of the pastry with a fork and then applying a coat of the egg wash with a pastry brush and baking in the oven for 15 mins. Then take out the flan and apply a further cover of egg wash and place strips of foil over the edges of the pastry (they will be the first to overcook) and cook for a further 5 mins.

6. Lower oven to gas 3. Lightly stir filling and pour into the pastry case and bake at once for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until the filling is very slightly browned on top but still wobbly. Check half way through and if the pastry edges are at risk of burning replace the foil strips.

7. Carefully trim the edges of the pastry so that there is a minimal amount of pastry above the level of the filling (about 1/4").

8. Serve cool (after at least 4 hours): on no account chill in the 'fridge as the pastry will soften. Nor should you store any left-overs in the 'fridge. To serve: your finest Sauterne