Pollença Lemon Tart
Who doesn’t love a beautiful lemony lemon tart? It is definitely a toss up between lemon tart or lemon meringue pie for me when we eat out! But apparently not everyone shares my passion as my mate Phil sadly declined a slice of mine!
A lemon tart is so simple in its ingredients, lemons, sugar, eggs and butter all combine to create a dish of great beauty. (There are quite a few eggs though!) Of course pastry that melts in the mouth is key but for me is the star of the show…lemons. We are lucky to have an abundance right now in Mallorca and the lemons in this tart travelled just a few meters from our little lemon tree on the terrace and Phil and Carolyns garden. There is something wonderful about picking your own fruit and vegetables from the garden and turning them into a feast.
Marco Pierre Whites’ is often seen as the benchmark, but I went for a a recipe from Theo Randall in his My Simple Italian book. With my great friend Ian staying with us, who shares in a passion for cooking, we set about creating this desert. It was absolutely delicious. Theo called his an Amalfi Lemon Tart so I guess this is my Pollença Lemon Tart, enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
Pastry:
1 x 26cm sweet pastry case
250g plain flour
75g sifted icing sugar
180g chilled unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1 egg for wash
Filling:
Grated zest of 5 Pollença lemons (if you happen to be in Mallorca!)
150ml freshly squeezed Pollença lemon juice
300g caster sugar
6 whole eggs
9 egg yolks
METHOD:
Sweet Pastry Case:
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Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is like breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and pulse for 10 seconds
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Mix briefly by hand and cover to rest for an hour
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Roll out and press into the 26cm fluted loose bottom tart tin. Leave to rest for 30 minutes before using for the lemon tart
Lemon Tart:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees
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Blind bake the pastry case by lining with parchment paper and baking beans and cook for 15 minutes until golden. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes. Brush with egg wash and bake for a further 5 minutes.
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Combine the lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted and sugar dissolved.
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Whisk the the eggs and yolks together then add to the saucepan, stir over a medium heat until the custard mixture thickens. Then pour into the pastry case.
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Preheat the grill to high and place tart under the grill until the leopard skin appears! Leave to cool and set before serving.