Lime Tart with Toasted Meringue
Ingredients
Sweet Short Crust Tart
225g plain flour
125g very cold unsalted butter
80g icing sugar
36g egg yolk
15-20ml ice cold water
Lime Curd
5 large egg yolks
120g caster sugar
120ml fresh lime juice (approx. 4-5 limes), plus the zest of the limes
120g unsalted butter, cubed
Pinch of fine seas salt
Toasted Meringue Topper
185g egg whites
345g caster sugar
Large pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Method
Place the icing sugar and flour in a food processor. Pulse until well combined, then add the chilled butter. Pulse again until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Lightly beat the egg yolks and 15ml of the ice cold water together. Turn the motor back on, then slowly drizzle the yolks in until the dough just comes together. If it still isn’t coming together, gradually add a LITTLE more water.
Lightly flour a work surface, then bring the dough together to form a 2cm thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, then smooth out any cracks. Pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface until very thin, approximately 2mm. Drape over a 20cm fluted tart tin, gently sagging the dough into the base and up the sides of the pan. trim the edges until it just rises over the tin (you will likely have some excess dough, if you form it into a disk again and wrap it in plastic wrap, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days). Place the tart in the freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat fan forced oven to 180°C, with the rack positioned in the bottom third of the oven, with a pizza stone or steel on it.
Using a parring knife, trim the excess dough off, sliding the knife carefully along the edge of the tart tin horizontally. Line the pastry base and sides with foil, pressing it against the pastry. Fill with pie weights, or alternatively, dry rice or beans, ensuring its filled to the brim.
Bake for 17 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and weights, reduce the oven to 160°C, then bake for another 15 minutes, or until the crust is fully baked through and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the lime curd. Whisk together the egg yolks, lime zest and sugar until fluffy and light, about 2 minutes. Set a heatproof bowl on top of a saucepan of lightly simmering water, ensuring the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Add the yolk mixture, along with the salt and lime juice. Whisk continuously, until the mixture reaches 80°C on a cooking thermometer - the mixture should be thick.
Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium sized bowl. Add the butter, continually whisking until fully melted and incorporated. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and allow to chill in the fridge until cool enough to touch.
When ready to use, mix again until smooth and then pour into the blind baked tart crust. Gently level with a spoon or offset spatula and allow to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
To make the meringue topper, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, again ensuring the bottom does not touch the water. Use a spatula, continually stir the mixture until it reaches 70°C. Immediately transfer the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on the highest speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and stiff. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag. Pipe the meringue on top of the tart in whatever pattern you like (there will most likely be some mixture left over, you don’t need to use it all but also - why not?) Using a blow torch, toast the meringue, then slice and serve,
