Lemon Tart (Tarte au citron)
Authentic French tarte au citron recipe. Recipe adapted from my book, Teatime in Paris (2015) with a zingy lemon and lime filling. Fills a pre-baked sweet tart pastry base (recipe link below) or pre-bought 24x2cm/9x1inch shortcrust pastry. As this filling is not custard based or baked, no film forms on the surface and leaves a beautiful glossy finish while setting in the fridge.
Ingredients
1 quantity sweet pastry (pâte sucrée) - see recipe below
Lemon Tart Filling
- 1 zest of one lemon finely grated (without white pith)
- 150 g (5½ oz/ ⅔ cup) juice of 2 lemons and 1 lime
- 150 g (5½ oz/ ¾ cup) sugar
- 3 large eggs organic
- 2 @2g gelatine sheets or 1 teaspoon powdered gelatine*
- 140 g (5oz/10 tbsp) unsalted butter cold and cubed
Instructions
Sweet Tart Pastry
- Follow the recipe for the pâte sucrée sweet tart base using a 24x2cm/9x1inch tart ring or loose-bottomed tart tin.Blind bake the pastry for 20 minutes as per the recipe. Remove the beans and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Leave to cool, remove from the tart tin or ring and continue to cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Tart Filling
- Finely zest one of the lemons directly into a saucepan and, if using gelatine sheets, soak them in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice of both the lemons and lime then strain to remove any pips. Weigh to reach the exact amount of liquid.
- In the saucepan, whisk together the lemon/lime juice with the zest, sugar and eggs. Once mixed together, put on a medium heat while continuing to whisk until the sauce bubbles and thickens. This should take 10 minutes max.
- Take off the heat and strain to remove the zest (only if you prefer it smooth - I often keep it in). Whisk in the cubed butter and gelatine (sheets squeezed of excess water or add powder).
- Pour directly into the tart shell. Cool and place in the fridge for at least an hour to set.