Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
St Clement's Meringue Tart
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour
35 mins
3 hours
Serves:
One 9-inch tart (8–10 slices)
Gabe created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. The judges praised its melting, buttery pastry, sharp curd and well-set piped meringue, with a clear blend of orange and lemon. This Fix-It version takes the pastry case only to pale gold and cooks the curd on the stovetop, so the tart b...
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Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET PASTRY: 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar ¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt ½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 large egg yolk 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) ice water
FOR THE LEMON AND ORANGE CURD: 3 large eggs 2 large egg yolks ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch Finely grated zest of 2 lemons Finely grated zest of 1 orange ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons) ⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh orange juice (about 1 orange) Pinch of fine salt ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
FOR THE ITALIAN MERINGUE: 3 large egg whites (90 g), at room temperature ¼ tsp (1 g) cream of tartar ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar 3 tbsp (45 ml) water
EQUIPMENT: 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom Parchment and pie weights or dried beans Heavy saucepan Fine-mesh sieve Small saucepan Candy thermometer Stand mixer with whisk attachment Piping bag with a large star or round tip Kitchen blowtorch
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE PASTRY
Whisk the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough ice water to bring the dough together; do not knead. Flatten into a disk, wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle.
STEP 2: LINE THE TART PAN
Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Ease it into the tart pan, pressing it into the flutes without stretching, and leave a little overhang. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: BLIND BAKE THE CASE
Line the pastry with parchment, fill with pie weights and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, until the edges are set. Remove the weights and parchment, lower the oven to 350°F and bake for 8–12 minutes more, until the base is dry and the case is pale gold all over, not brown. Trim the overhang with a sharp knife while warm, then let the case cool in the pan.
STEP 4: MAKE THE CURD
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and orange zest. Whisk in the lemon juice, orange juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 6–8 minutes, until thick and the first bubble breaks the surface, then cook for 1 minute more. Off the heat, whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
STEP 5: FILL AND SET THE TART
Pour the warm curd into the cooled case and level the top. Chill for about 1 hour, until set, or 45 minutes in the freezer if short of time.
STEP 6: MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE
Put the egg whites (saved from the separated yolks) and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring. When the syrup reaches 230°F on a candy thermometer, start whisking the whites to soft peaks. At 240°F, take the syrup off the heat and, with the mixer on medium, pour it in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk on high for 6–8 minutes, until thick, glossy and cool to the touch.
STEP 7: PIPE AND TORCH
Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large star or round tip. Pipe close rosettes over the set curd, right to the pastry edge. Brown the peaks lightly with a kitchen blowtorch until tipped with gold.
STEP 8: SERVE
Remove the tart from the pan and slice with a hot, wiped knife. Serve the same day.
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Instructions
FOR THE SWEET PASTRY:
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt
½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) ice water
FOR THE LEMON AND ORANGE CURD:
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
Pinch of fine salt
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
FOR THE ITALIAN MERINGUE:
3 large egg whites (90 g), at room temperature
¼ tsp (1 g) cream of tartar
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) water
EQUIPMENT:
9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom
Parchment and pie weights or dried beans
Heavy saucepan
Fine-mesh sieve
Small saucepan
Candy thermometer
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Piping bag with a large star or round tip
Kitchen blowtorch
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE PASTRY
Whisk the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and just enough ice water to bring the dough together; do not knead. Flatten into a disk, wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle.
STEP 2: LINE THE TART PAN
Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Ease it into the tart pan, pressing it into the flutes without stretching, and leave a little overhang. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: BLIND BAKE THE CASE
Line the pastry with parchment, fill with pie weights and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, until the edges are set. Remove the weights and parchment, lower the oven to 350°F and bake for 8–12 minutes more, until the base is dry and the case is pale gold all over, not brown. Trim the overhang with a sharp knife while warm, then let the case cool in the pan.
STEP 4: MAKE THE CURD
In a heavy saucepan, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and orange zest. Whisk in the lemon juice, orange juice and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 6–8 minutes, until thick and the first bubble breaks the surface, then cook for 1 minute more. Off the heat, whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
STEP 5: FILL AND SET THE TART
Pour the warm curd into the cooled case and level the top. Chill for about 1 hour, until set, or 45 minutes in the freezer if short of time.
STEP 6: MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE
Put the egg whites (saved from the separated yolks) and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring. When the syrup reaches 230°F on a candy thermometer, start whisking the whites to soft peaks. At 240°F, take the syrup off the heat and, with the mixer on medium, pour it in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk on high for 6–8 minutes, until thick, glossy and cool to the touch.
STEP 7: PIPE AND TORCH
Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large star or round tip. Pipe close rosettes over the set curd, right to the pastry edge. Brown the peaks lightly with a kitchen blowtorch until tipped with gold.
STEP 8: SERVE
Remove the tart from the pan and slice with a hot, wiped knife. Serve the same day.
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