[Recipe] Michel Roux Snr’s Lemon Tart

Serves 8

Prep 25 mins
Cook 1 hr plus chilling

Ingredients

Pastry (makes double)
500g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
140g icing sugar
250g unsalted butter , cubed
4 egg yolks

Filling
5 eggs
140g caster sugar
150ml double cream
juice 2-3 lemon (about 100ml/3.5fl oz)
and 2 tbsp lemon zest

Method

1. To make the pastry, mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until crumbly. Mix in the egg yolks. If the pastry is still too dry, add 1-2 tbsp water until it comes together. Roll into a ball and divide in half (freeze one half for another recipe). Flatten out the pastry with your hands, wrap the dough in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins. While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. Beat all the ingredients, except for the zest, together. Sieve the mixture, then stir in the zest.

2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin, then lift into a 23cm tart tin. Press down gently on the bottom and sides, then trim off any excess pastry. Stab a few holes in the bottom with a fork and put back in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the tart with foil and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the tart tin from the oven, discard the foil, and bake for another 20 mins until biscuity. When the pastry is ready, remove it from the oven, pour in the lemon mixture and bake again for 30-35 mins until just set. Leave to cool, then remove the tart from the tin and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes:

• The quantity of pastry given is about double the amount that you’ll need because if I’m going to the effort of making my own pastry, I always make double and freeze half for next time. If you don’t want to freeze some, simply halve the pastry quantities.
• To make this tart even more decadent, whip some whipping cream with icing sugar and a bit of lemon juice, then fold in a sheet of soaked leaf gelatine. Top generously and leave to set.