Blazing Lemon Tart with Torched Meringue Peaks

⏱ 150 min · Serves 10

A crisp, buttery pastry shell holding a silky, mouth-puckering lemon curd, crowned with billowing Swiss meringue peaks scorched to amber. Sharp, sweet and pure theatre at the table.

Per serving: 520 kcal · 7.5g protein · 56.0g carbs · 30.0g fat

Ingredients

• For the pastry: 200g plain flour
• 110g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 60g icing sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1-2 tbsp ice-cold water
• Pinch of salt
• For the lemon filling: 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 200g caster sugar
• 150ml lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
• Zest of 3 lemons
• 150ml double cream
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• For the meringue: 3 egg whites (about 100g)
• 180g caster sugar
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Rub or pulse the flour, butter, icing sugar and salt to fine crumbs. Add the yolk and just enough ice water to bring it together. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill 30 minutes.
2. Roll out to 3mm and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving an overhang. Chill 20 minutes. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan.
3. Prick the base, line with parchment and baking beans, and blind bake 20 minutes. Remove beans and bake 10 minutes more until sandy and pale gold. Trim the overhang with a small knife. Lower oven to 140C/120C fan.
4. For the filling, whisk the eggs, yolks and caster sugar until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice, zest and cream. Rest 5 minutes, then skim off any foam and strain.
5. Melt the butter gently and whisk it into the lemon mixture. Pour into the warm tart shell.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes until barely set with a faint wobble in the centre. Cool completely, then chill at least 2 hours.
7. For the meringue, put the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and it reaches 70C, about 4 minutes.
8. Whip on high with an electric mixer for 6-8 minutes to stiff, glossy peaks and the bowl feels cool. Beat in the vanilla.
9. Spoon the meringue over the chilled tart, swirling dramatic peaks with the back of a spoon. Torch until deeply bronzed on the tips.
10. Slice with a hot, dry knife and serve straight away.