what the heck is a meyer lemon, anyhow? juicy, ripe, sweet, and almost orange, these citrus gifts can be found (briefly) at the local market. guess where it hails from, originally (think toys, clothes, and lead toothpaste) ... right, china.
but unlike other things from this far-flung nation, the origins of the meyer lemon are steeped in tradition, and not a burgeoning economy. named for an employee of the u.s. department of agriculture, these fragrant beauties are cultivated right here at home.
inspiring in a lemon tarte with a crispy crust, they play a role in both the flavor and visuals of this glossy dessert. don't be a sour-puss ... give it a whirl!
meyer lemon curd tarte
prepare the crust:
1. in the bowl of a food processor, combine 1.5 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and pulse; stop the blade and add 1-1/2 sticks butter (cubed into 10 pieces) - pulse again until the mixture has small bits of butter covered in the dry ingredients [do NOT make a paste]
2. add 6 tablespoons of cold ice water, and pulse again until the mixture is finer (but not a dough) - it has enough liquid if the blend can be pressed together
3. turn the bowl out on the counter, and quickly pat the ingredients together in a ball or dome form - wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes [now's the time to make the curd filling, below]
4. preheat the oven to 375ยบ
5. remove the dough, unwrap, and use a rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch thickness - you should get a large circle of pastry, which you can then line a tarte pan with (fluted or straight-sided, with a removable bottom)
6. pierce the bottom of the shell with a knife so air can escape, and bake uncovered until the tarte is completely golden brown (note: turn the pan in the oven halfway around about 20 minutes into the process)
for the meyer lemon curd:
1. in a stand mixer bowl, place 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks (reserve the extra 2 egg whites at room temperature) - add 1 cup sugar and whip fervently until the mixture is creamy and pale in color
2. zest 4 meyer lemons (or 2 regular lemons) and add to the egg batter, along with the juice of all of the lemons - whip again briefly, just to incorporate
3. in a saucepan, heat 1 inch of cold water, bringing it quickly to the boil - reduce to simmer, and place the stand mixer metal bowl with the above ingredients over the saucepan - whisk constantly in this makeshift double boiler to thicken the custard [note: the hot water should NOT be touching the underside of the metal bowl]
4. when the mixture is thickened, immediately remove from the hot water below, and pour it into a mixing bowl - add 1/2 cup heavy cream and whisk to combine
5. wash out the mixing bowl and whip, making certain that it is completely dry ... add the remaining 2 egg whites and whip until frothy; slowly add 1/2 cup sugar along the side of the bowl with the stand mixer running to make a 'meringue' (add the sugar very, very slowly!) ... the egg whites will turn from translucent beige to opaque white and fairly stiff and glossy - that's when they're ready!
6. add the meringue to the lemon curd batter, and it's ready to go into the baked tarte shell
NOTE: when the tarte shell comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan (don't remove the bottom); slowly pour the custard into the center of the shell, slowly, and let it creep towards the edges - fill it all the way, but don't overflow it (there's nothing wrong with a bit of extra lemon curd in the house, but a messy tarte? there's no excuse for that!). refrigerate your delicious and shiny confection, and enjoy with a bit of raspberry coulis on the side, some candied lemon peel, or even a dollop of chocolate ganache and creme fraiche!!!
lemons never had it so good!
but unlike other things from this far-flung nation, the origins of the meyer lemon are steeped in tradition, and not a burgeoning economy. named for an employee of the u.s. department of agriculture, these fragrant beauties are cultivated right here at home.
inspiring in a lemon tarte with a crispy crust, they play a role in both the flavor and visuals of this glossy dessert. don't be a sour-puss ... give it a whirl!
meyer lemon curd tarte
prepare the crust:
1. in the bowl of a food processor, combine 1.5 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup sugar, and pulse; stop the blade and add 1-1/2 sticks butter (cubed into 10 pieces) - pulse again until the mixture has small bits of butter covered in the dry ingredients [do NOT make a paste]
2. add 6 tablespoons of cold ice water, and pulse again until the mixture is finer (but not a dough) - it has enough liquid if the blend can be pressed together
3. turn the bowl out on the counter, and quickly pat the ingredients together in a ball or dome form - wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes [now's the time to make the curd filling, below]
4. preheat the oven to 375ยบ
5. remove the dough, unwrap, and use a rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch thickness - you should get a large circle of pastry, which you can then line a tarte pan with (fluted or straight-sided, with a removable bottom)
6. pierce the bottom of the shell with a knife so air can escape, and bake uncovered until the tarte is completely golden brown (note: turn the pan in the oven halfway around about 20 minutes into the process)
for the meyer lemon curd:
1. in a stand mixer bowl, place 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks (reserve the extra 2 egg whites at room temperature) - add 1 cup sugar and whip fervently until the mixture is creamy and pale in color
2. zest 4 meyer lemons (or 2 regular lemons) and add to the egg batter, along with the juice of all of the lemons - whip again briefly, just to incorporate
3. in a saucepan, heat 1 inch of cold water, bringing it quickly to the boil - reduce to simmer, and place the stand mixer metal bowl with the above ingredients over the saucepan - whisk constantly in this makeshift double boiler to thicken the custard [note: the hot water should NOT be touching the underside of the metal bowl]
4. when the mixture is thickened, immediately remove from the hot water below, and pour it into a mixing bowl - add 1/2 cup heavy cream and whisk to combine
5. wash out the mixing bowl and whip, making certain that it is completely dry ... add the remaining 2 egg whites and whip until frothy; slowly add 1/2 cup sugar along the side of the bowl with the stand mixer running to make a 'meringue' (add the sugar very, very slowly!) ... the egg whites will turn from translucent beige to opaque white and fairly stiff and glossy - that's when they're ready!
6. add the meringue to the lemon curd batter, and it's ready to go into the baked tarte shell
NOTE: when the tarte shell comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan (don't remove the bottom); slowly pour the custard into the center of the shell, slowly, and let it creep towards the edges - fill it all the way, but don't overflow it (there's nothing wrong with a bit of extra lemon curd in the house, but a messy tarte? there's no excuse for that!). refrigerate your delicious and shiny confection, and enjoy with a bit of raspberry coulis on the side, some candied lemon peel, or even a dollop of chocolate ganache and creme fraiche!!!
lemons never had it so good!
