Heston-Style Lemon Tart

In the series How to Cook Like Heston, Heston Blumenthal makes a lemon tart that looks absolutely fantastic. I want to become a better baker, and his recipes usually suit me well. I am not particularly fond of very sweet desserts, but lemon tart has a balance of sharp and sweet that I appreciate.

My partner wanted cake one Friday, so there was nothing for it but to get started. I spent most of Friday evening making it, and because it had to cool, we did not get cake until breakfast. Apparently, that was no great hardship.

Equipment

You will need a tart tin, baking paper, a jug, stick blender, stand mixer, sieve, saucepan, a few bowls, spatula, cooking thermometer and coins or baking beans.

Ingredients

For the pastry

• 300 g plain flour
• 150 g unsalted butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 g icing sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• Seeds from ½ vanilla pod, or a whole pod for a stronger vanilla flavour
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
• 1 egg, for brushing

For the filling

• Finely grated zest and juice of 5 lemons
• 300 ml double cream
• 390 g caster sugar
• 9 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk

Method

1. Mix the flour, butter and salt in a stand mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles sand, about 2–3 minutes.
2. Blend the icing sugar and egg yolks with a stick blender.
3. Add the vanilla seeds and lemon zest to the egg mixture. Add it to the flour and mix until you have a soft dough, about 3–5 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into a flat square, wrap in cling film and chill for at least one hour.
5. Roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 2 mm thick. Return it to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Line a 26 cm tart tin, about 2.5 cm deep, with the pastry. Press it firmly into every edge and leave the excess hanging over the rim.
7. Scrunch a sheet of baking paper several times so it becomes soft and has no sharp edges. Prick the pastry with a fork, place the paper in the tin and fill with coins or baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Blend a little of the spare pastry with the egg, preferably using a stick blender.
9. Remove the paper and weights. Brush the entire pastry case with the pastry-and-egg mixture; this seals any holes and cracks. Bake for another 10 minutes.
10. Remove the pastry case from the oven and leave it to cool completely.
11. When you are ready to fill the tart, preheat the oven to 120 °C. Put the pastry case in the oven to warm through.
12. Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl using a spatula. Set the bowl over a bain-marie and stir until the mixture reaches 60 °C. Use an accurate cooking thermometer.
13. Strain the filling into a jug. Remove any bubbles from the surface with a wooden spoon.
14. Pull the oven shelf holding the pastry case partway out. Carefully pour in the filling, slide the shelf back and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the filling reaches 70 °C.
15. Remove the tart and leave it to cool completely at room temperature.
16. Just before serving, run a sharp knife around the edge and trim away the excess, firmly baked pastry.

Enjoy.