Featured on Episode 4 of Tastes Like Home with Catherine Fulvio on RTÉ One
Serves 8
The Ingredients
For the pastry:
- Butter for the tin
- 200g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 150g chilled butter, roughly diced
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 1 to 2 tbsp. cold water
- Egg wash to glaze
For the filling:
- 6 free-range egg yolks
- 250g caster sugar
- 50g butter
- 6 lemons, zest of 3 and juice of 6
- 4 tbsp. cornflour
For the topping:
- 6 free-range egg whites
- 250g caster sugar
- 2 tsp cornflour
The Method
STEP 1
Brush a loose-based 23-cm flan tin with some melted butter. Dust with a little flour. To make the pastry, place the flour, ground almonds and butter into a food processor and blend until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the egg yolk and pulse to form a soft pastry dough. Add a little cold water if needed.
STEP 2
Roll the pastry out between 2 pieces of cling film and then peel off the top piece. Turn-over and carefully line the dusted flan tin with the pastry. Peel off the other piece of cling-film. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
STEP 3
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 4. Place a piece of parchment paper over the pastry and pour in baking beans. Bake for about 20 minutes and then remove the baking beans and parchment paper. Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake again for about 10 minutes until golden. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
STEP 4
To make the filling, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Whisking all the time, add the butter. Then pour in the lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the cornflour and simmer until a thick sauce/filling develops. It is best to keeping whisking while the filling is thickening. Set aside.
STEP 5
To make the meringue topping, whisk the egg whites to soft-peak stage. Gradually add the sugar until a thick meringue develops. Fold in the cornflour.
Pour the lemon filling into the baked pastry case, allow to cool slightly and then spoon or pipe the meringue topping over, starting from the outer edge and working to the centre, ensuring that you make peaks. Transfer to the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes until golden and brown.
