CLASSIC LEMON TART
CLASSIC LEMON TART
CLASSIC LEMON TART

Ingredients
  • 250g/9oz plain flour
  • plus extra for dusting
  • 100g/3½oz cold butter
  • plus extra for greasing
  • 25g/1oz icing sugar
  • plus extra for dusting
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 14 free-range eggs
  • plus 1 beaten egg for glazing
  • 550g/1lb 4oz caster sugar
  • 700ml/1¼ pint double cream
  • 10 large lemons
  • zest and juice only
  • 500g/1lb 2oz crème fraîche
  • to serve
Directions
  • For the pastry
  • put the flour
  • butter
  • icing sugar and salt in a bowl and rub with the tips of your fingers until it resembles the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
  • Add the egg and mix together until it forms a dough
  • then knead lightly on a work surface until smooth.
  • Roll into a ball then flatten slightly
  • wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  • For the tart
  • preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3½ and butter a 25cm/10in tart ring (approximately 4.5cm/1¾in deep).
  • Break the eggs into a bowl
  • add the sugar
  • cream
  • lemon zest and juice and whisk gently to combine. Place in the fridge to chill.
  • Roll out the pastry on a work surface lightly dusted with flour to about 3mm thick – keep turning the pastry a quarter turn every time you roll it so you end up with a perfect circle of pastry.
  • Put the buttered tart ring on a flat baking sheet then line it with the pastry
  • carefully lifting the pastry up then pressing it into the base of the ring
  • leaving any excess hanging over the edge.
  • Line with a several sheets of cling film to cover the pastry and hang over by 10cm/4in then fill the tart with flour
  • raw rice or baking beans. Fold the cling film back over the flour/rice and bake for 15 minutes. Not all cling film is suitable for use in the oven but aluminium foil or baking parchment can be used instead if preferred.
  • Remove the cling film and flour/rice
  • brush the inside of the tart with the beaten egg and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes
  • or until just golden-brown.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
  • Skim off any bubbles from the top of the lemon cream and discard.
  • Pour half the lemon cream into the pastry case
  • then transfer to the oven before adding the rest of the filling (this prevents any spillage and gives a neat finish).
  • Bake for an hour
  • or until the filling is set but still just wobbling in the centre. Leave to cool at room temperature.
  • To serve
  • cut the tart into wedges and dust with icing sugar. Glaze either by putting the tart under a hot grill or by using a blow torch. Serve with a quenelle of crème fraîche.