This is one for the bakers who want to up the anti! As you can see in the video below, it's not so hard, it just takes patience! Tart and tangy lemon curd is balanced with a buttery pastry and beautiful torched meringue, I hope you give this one a go!
Pastry
1 1/4 cups flour (if subbing for GF flour, add 1/2 tsp guar gum or xantham gum)
1/2 tsp salt
85g cold butter, cubed
1 egg
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp ice cold water
Curd
85g butter
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
150g lemon juice
150g caster sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
Meringue
300g caster sugar
240g egg white
Pastry
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter and rub between your fingertips to create a breadcrumb-like texture. Add egg, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp cold water and use your hands to bring the dough together. Add a little more water at a time, if needed. Once dough has formed, shape into a circle, wrap in cling-film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove from fridge 10 minutes before ready to roll. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out dough to 3cm larger than your pie dish. Gently roll the pastry up on the rolling pin (see video) and roll out over pie dish.
Gently push the pastry into all the crevices of the pie dish. Fold the overhanging pastry underneath itself. Using your index finger and thumb of one hand, hold them up to the edge of the pastry (on the inside of the dish). On the outside of the dish, use your other thumb to press in the gap of your other two fingers, this will create a nice crimp pattern. Follow this technique around the whole dish.
Poke the bottom of the pastry with a fork all over. Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill it with rice or baking beans. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes, then remove the baking paper and bake for another 20 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool completely.
Curd
Combine all curd ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Place in a small pot on low heat for 6-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until thickened and smooth. Allow to cool completely.
Meringue
In a heat-proof bowl or bowl of your stand mixer, combine sugar and egg white. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved (test this by rubbing the mixture between your fingers to feel any sugar granules).
Transfer to your stand mixer or use electric beaters to whisk until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Assembly
Once all elements are cool, fill pastry with lemon curd, then top with meringue and use a blow torch to toast the meringue.
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