Desserts and Soufflés
Lemon Tart with Torched Italian Meringue Recipe
A masterclass in pastry balance, this tart pairs a buttery, short pâte sablée with a sharp, emulsified lemon curd. Topped with a stable, marshmallow-like Italian meringue and finished with a precision torching for a sophisticated aesthetic.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Advanced
- Per serving
- 485 kcal
Method
Execute Pâte Sablée. Using the sablage (rubbing-in) method, combine flour and cold butter until it reaches a sandy texture. Incorporate icing sugar and salt. Add the egg and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Wrap in film and chill for 2 hours.
Rolling and Blind Baking. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Roll dough to 3mm thickness and line a 23cm tart ring. Chill for 30 minutes. Line with parchment and baking weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove weights, and bake for another 10 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
Prepare Crème au Citron. In a metal bowl over a bain-marie, whisk lemon juice, zest, eggs, and sugar. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches 82°C (180°F). Remove from heat. Let cool to 60°C (140°F), then use an immersion blender to gradually emulsify the cold cubed butter into the curd. This creates a silkier texture than traditional stirring.
Filling the Shell. Pour the curd into the cooled tart shell. Smooth with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
Italian Meringue Production. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; heat to 118°C (244°F) (firm ball stage). Simultaneously, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Once the syrup reaches temperature, pour it in a steady stream into the whites while whisking on high speed. Continue whisking until the bowl is cool and the meringue is stiff and glossy.
Finishing. Transfer meringue to a piping bag with a plain round tip. Pipe uniform spheres or decorative patterns over the chilled tart. Use a blowtorch on a medium flame to evenly caramelize the exterior of the meringue. Serve immediately.
Notes
To simplify, you can use a French meringue (whisking sugar directly into whites), but you will lose the structural stability and glossy finish that allows the tart to hold in the fridge.
If the pastry shrinks, it is likely due to overworking the gluten or insufficient resting time in the fridge.
For the smoothest curd, always use an immersion blender to incorporate the butter at the specified temperature rather than whisking by hand.
Ensure the lemon juice is double-strained to prevent any pulp from ruining the silkiness of the curd.
