lemon
tart
TOP….SHOWING PORTIONING THE TART AND BOTTOM…THIS IS A GOOD BRAND…SOLID, NON-STICK AND DOESN’T MIND THE DISHWASHER. ANOTHER REASON I LIKE THIS BRAND IS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE THIS TART ONTO A CUTTING BOARD, IT IS JUST TOO FRAGILE. IF YOU’RE CAREFUL, THERE’S BARELY A SCRATCH.
Edited 20 June 2023 cooking time
A three day process
definitely best made the day before to firm up
makes 15 x 3 flute serves but first serve is usually a mess so work oEn 14
warning
If you can’t follow a recipe to the letter or if you have hot hands this recipe is probably not for you. Hot hands and pastry and not good companions. If you do not follow this recipe precisely you will have a failure…in my last restaurant consultancy it was called the ‘tears tart’. It has been worked on for a long time to make it a little easier but still is probably the most complex, time wise, of any recipe in my repertoire.
before you think of starting
equipment you will need
x 2 pastry brushes…one soft bristled and one firm
25 cm wide x 5 cm deep heavy duty drop bottom flan [see left]
rolling pin
Thermomix
fine pastry card
Freezer-go-Between
baking paper
a cold work surface to roll the pastry on
heavy duty aluminum foil, caterers 44 cm width
1300g ceramic pastry balls
x 2 timers
microwave
bowl large enough to easily hold the entire tart filling
sieve approx 20 cm
cake rack
very sharp [about 20 cm] fine knife
small metal crank handle spatula
small fine sieve
sugar torch
COPYRIGHT © ANN OLIVER 30 DECEMBER 22
For some advice about purchasing eggs click here
the
pastry
day one
if making a double batch use your food processor – this is best done the day before you want to cook the tart
150g strong flour + about 20g for your work surface
50g icing sugar mixture
5g finely grated lemon rind
100g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1cm cubes
1 cold egg yolk
20g very soft unsalted butter, to brush the tin
1 room temperature egg, whisked to seal the pastry
Put the flour, icing sugar and lemon rind in the Thermomix and mix together. With the motor running at medium speed add the butter through the feed hole. As soon as the butter is evenly distributed again with the motor running at medium speed at the cold egg yolk. Do not overwork!!!! As soon as it comes together turn out onto a very lightly floured work surface and quickly knead it into a smooth ball. Flatten the pastry out to about 2 cm, wrap in plastic and leave in a cool place for at least two hours. On a very hot day maybe one or two hours in the fridge.
Using the firm pastry brush, without the base carefully brush the tin. Put the base in and brush paying careful attention to the edges of the base. Cut the pastry into four and working one quarter at a time and using as little flour as possible and a sheet of Freezer-go-Between on top roll the pastry out thinly. Use the pastry card to lift it into the tin and carefully press it in place. repeat with the remaining three quarters. Press the edges together and trim off the top. Re-roll the trim if you need to fill gaps…there is usually only about 30g of pastry left over.
Tear off a sheet of foil that is about 70 cm. Working shiny side down carefully press the foil against the pastry and fold it over the edges. Refrigerate the prepared pastry base overnight.
day two
for the tart filling
500g caster sugar
30g finely grated lemon rind [not Meyer lemons they are too sweet]
15 x 700g to the dozen or 13 x 800g to the dozen room temperature eggs or warmed in hot water….egg size is important
400g strained lemon juice [not Meyer lemons they are too sweet]…in a microwave bowl
Put the caster sugar and lemon rind into a Thermomix and combine on high speed. Get all of the other ingredients ready to go.
pre heat oven to 180°C
Line a medium stainless-steel bowl with a double layer of aluminum foil and put the ceramic pastry balls into the foil. When the oven gets to temperature but the balls into the oven and set one timer for 30 minutes and another for 25 minutes. When the 25-minute timer goes bring the prepared tart base out of the fridge and place it on a baking sheet. When the 30 minute timer goes open the oven door and turn the heat down to 160°C. Bring the tart base out of the oven and close the oven door.
Using potholders lift the foil with the ceramic balls into the prepared tart base and ease them to the edges of the flan.
Return the flan to the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes bring the tart out of the oven, Remove the pastry balls and very carefully peel away the foil….return to the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Put the spare egg into a bowl and whisk it together and have the soft pastry brush close at hand. When this timer goes bring the tart case out of the oven and carefully brush it, working from the bottom up with the beaten egg. Return it to the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
You are now under the pump…you have 10 minutes to get your tart filling ready.
do not
delay
Crack the eggs into the Thermomix and combine with the sugar and lemon rind. Put the lemon juice in the microwave and microwave on high for two minutes and thirty seconds. Immediately add to the sugar and eggs and combine on medium high speed. Set the Thermomix timer for 5 minutes @ 70°C and start the process. When the timer goes for the Thermomix strain off the mixture. When the timer for the oven goes bring the tart base from the oven and turn the oven down to 120°C. Very carefully ladle half of the filling into the tart base and return to the oven. Very carefully add the remaining filling and gently get the tart into the middle of the oven. Close the door and set a timer for 25 minutes, check the wobble it should be about 25% of the tart surface and ready to come out. If not, check every 5 minutes it should not take ore than another 10.
When the timer goes bring the tart from the oven and stand it on the cake rack. Immediately contact cover the top of the tart with baking paper. When the tart is cooled refrigerate overnight.
tip...make sure there are no strong smelly odours in your fridge, especially onion and garlic or you may find your tart is contaminated.
WARNING
This is not a desert than can stand for an hour before being served and certainly not something I would attempt to serve for, say, 300 people. The danger of it collapsing is always imminent…so, 10 minutes tops and you need to have it at the table. In a warm domestic kitchen getting help to plate up is a good idea.
you will need
powdered caster sugar or pure icing sugar
gas torch
rich cream…at home we favour Tweedvale Pure Double Cream – scroll down available at most Foodland Supermarkets or Jersey Fresh Pure Cream Norwood Foodland….[they also have 1L Jersey Fresh Pouring Cream which is excellent for ice cream.]
if you like
berries rolled though fresh passionfruit or just berries
Lay out your plates. Remove the baking paper which most times cleans up the bubbly surface.
Using a very sharp fine knife cut the first portion on three flutes. This is usually the portion that gets screwed up…you can be lucky, but don’t count on it! Cut each portion one at a time, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
When you have laid out your portions, working three at a time thickly dust them with icing sugar. Using the sugar torch caramelise the sugar.
Repeat with your remaining portions. A small quenelle of the rich cream and berries if you have them. Choosing to skip the berries and put the pulp of a passionfruit on the cream, per portion is also good.
serve immediately!!!
to serve
brava!!!
brava!!!
The point is that if you got to here…bravo, it is not an easy recipe and requires absolute focus and precision.
Also, fab made with passionfruit but use 50:50 frozen imported and fresh juice unless you have your own passionfruit vines and can afford to only use fresh.
Fresh eggs, cream and milk are my mantra for cooking.
When it comes to eggs, and given that I am South Australian
based I have three preferences when buying eggs. Barossa, Kangaroo Island and
McGwererton Organic [not pictured and not easy to find].
Now that I no longer do catering on scale and order dozens of eggs weekly that were delivered fresh to my door, I show no shame in looking through the display fridge to find the ones with the longest shelf life, meaning they are the freshest.
Fresh is particularly important for this lemon tart, crème caramels,
brûllée and ice cream.
I have recently realised that I am still writing recipes
in an egg fomat that seems to have disappeared.
They are no longer listed as 61g eggs formerly extra-large, now a total weight of 700g, or 68g eggs jumbos now a total weight of 800g. All of my recipes have been based on extra large eggs so will equate to 700g eggs.
It is most important to do the math when using the larger 800g eggs.
advice
about eggs
