Tarte au citron meringuée
Lemon meringue tart
Tarte au citron meringuée: French lemon tart with toasted Italian meringue
Tarte au citron meringuée is one of the best-loved tarts in French pâtisseries, a crisp sweet pastry case filled with sharp lemon cream and crowned with swirls of glossy meringue, toasted until golden; it is a favourite Sunday lunch dessert from Paris to Menton, the lemon town on the Riviera. The lemon cream is cooked on the hob, so it sets cleanly. The common mistake is letting the lemon cream boil hard, which makes it grainy. Chef's tip: make the meringue with hot syrup (Italian meringue); it is stable, safe to eat and will not weep on the tart.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the case
- 10 ½ oz pâte sucréehomemade or bought
For the lemon cream
- 4 unwaxed lemonszest of 2, juice of all (about 160 ml)
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- ½ oz cornflour
- 3 ½ oz unsalted butterdiced
For the meringue
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 ½ tbsp water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Roll the 10 ½ oz pâte sucrée 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm tart tin. Prick the base and chill for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
15 minStep 2: Line with baking paper and baking beans and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and bake 8–10 minutes more until golden and dry. Cool.
25 minStep 3: Whisk the 4 unwaxed lemons zest and juice, 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 4 eggs and ½ oz cornflour in a pan. Cook over a medium-low heat, whisking all the time, until it thickens and the first bubble pops, about 6 minutes; do not let it boil hard.
10 minStep 4: Take off the heat and whisk in the 3 ½ oz unsalted butter until smooth. Pour into the case and chill for at least 2 hours until set.
5 minStep 5: For the meringue, boil the 5 ½ oz caster sugar and 3 ½ tbsp water to 250°F. Meanwhile whisk the 3 egg whites to soft peaks, then pour in the syrup in a thin stream, whisking, and keep whisking until thick, glossy and cool.
10 minStep 6: Pipe or spread the meringue over the lemon cream and toast with a blowtorch or under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes, watching, until golden at the tips.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarte au citron meringuée take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of unwaxed lemons?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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