French lemon cream tart recipe

Recipes

loveFOOD
0 Comments

Lemon curd tends to follow a fairly standard procedure: heat together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and butter, then cool into a spoonable, flexible substance to be used in all sorts of jam-like ways. But this recipe by legendary French pastry chef Pierre Hermé takes butter out of the process and then whips it back in without giving it a chance to melt. The butter emulsifies and expands, capturing big gulps of air. The filling is buoyant in texture, like a smooth aioli or French buttercream rather than a pourable curd.

TOP TIPS:

If you want to make the tart shell, rather than buy ready-made, follow this recipe.
You could swirl the filling mixture over a pavlova or fold it into Eton mess. Alternatively, layer it into cakes and pies and between cookies, or serve it in tiny bowls as the most electrifying lemon pudding.
You’ll need a whisk, a thermometer (preferably instant-read), a fine-mesh strainer, and a blender (preferably) or food processor.

Reprinted with permission from Food52 Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake by Kristen Miglore, copyright © 2018. Recipe by Pierre Hermé. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography by James Ransom © 2018.

Ingredients

200 g sugar
3 lemons, finely grated zest only (about 2 tablespoons)
4 large eggs
180 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 or 5 lemons)
295 g plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 2cm (1 inch) pieces
1 fully baked 23cm (9 inch) tart shell (you can make your own by following the recipe in the intro or buy one ready-made)
1 handful fresh blueberries, for garnish (optional)

7.1 oz sugar
3 lemons, finely grated zest only (about 2 tablespoons)
4 large eggs
6.3 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 or 5 lemons)
10.4 oz plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 2cm (1 inch) pieces
1 fully baked 23cm (9 inch) tart shell (you can make your own by following the recipe in the intro or buy one ready-made)
1 handful fresh blueberries, for garnish (optional)

7.1 oz sugar
3 lemons, finely grated zest only (about 2 tablespoons)
4 large eggs
0.8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4 or 5 lemons)
10.4 oz plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 2cm (1 inch) pieces
1 fully baked 23cm (9 inch) tart shell (you can make your own by following the recipe in the intro or buy one ready-made)
1 handful fresh blueberries, for garnish (optional)

Details

Cuisine: French
Recipe Type: Tart
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 8

Step-by-step

Fill a large saucepan with 5cm (2 inches) of water and bring it to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer.
In a large metal bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until the sugar is well moistened, a bit clumpy, and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.
Set the bowl over the saucepan (be sure the bottom isn’t touching the water) and cook the mixture, whisking constantly as soon as the mixture feels tepid to the touch (this will happen quickly).
Cook the cream until it reaches 80°C (180°F). The mixture will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it’s getting close to 80°C (180°F), it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks, which means it’s almost ready. Don’t stop whisking and don’t stop checking the temperature – this can take as long as 10 minutes but may happen more quickly, depending on the heat.
As soon as the mixture reaches 80°C (180°F), remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine-mesh strainer set over a blender (or food processor), stirring with a rubber spatula to coax as much of the curd through the strainer as possible. Let the curd cool at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it is 60°C (140°F).
Set the blender to high and, with the machine running, drop in about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
After the butter is all blended in, continue to blend for 3 minutes more to whip in even more air. If your blender gets a bit too hot, run it only a minute at a time, giving the machine a short rest in between.
Scrape the cream into a container and smooth a piece of plastic wrap over its surface to form an airtight seal. Refrigerate the cream for at least 4 hours. (You can store it in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.)
When you are ready to fill the tart, whisk the cream to loosen it. Scrape it into the tart shell, smooth the top, and refrigerate if not serving shortly. Serve the tart cold the day it’s made.

You might also like:

Lemon curd

Lemon and lime tart

Lemon Swiss roll

Comments

Be the first to comment

Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature