Lemon meringue pie
Recipe by Gearoid Lynch
This is an old-time classic dessert, loved by all. Making it as individual tartlets gives it the wow factor. This isn’t a simple dessert, but it’s worth the effort. The addition of the lemon zest to pastry gives it some extra zing.
INGREDIENTS
(Serves 8)
225g plain white flour
50g icing sugar
150g cold butter, cubed
One egg, beaten
Zest of one lemon
One vanilla pod, cut in half and seeds scraped out
1tbsp cornflour
125ml single cream
Five eggs
175g caster sugar
Three lemons, juice of three and zest of two
Seven egg whites (200g)
300g caster sugar
METHOD
Make the pastry, adding the lemon zest and vanilla seeds to the dry ingredients. Make sure you allow the pastry to rest for at least one hour. Use it to line a 20cm flan tin or eight individual tartlet tins and bake blind.
Keep the oven turned on at 180°C.
To make the filling, dissolve the cornflour in a cup with one tablespoon of the cream. Mix together the eggs, sugar, the remaining cream and the lemon zest and juice. Place in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat and simmer for two minutes to ensure it’s cooked, then pour the curd into the cooled pastry case. If using a 20cm flan tin, return it to the oven and bake for five minutes to ensure the curd sets. If making individual tarts, there’s no need to blind bake the pastry.
To make the meringue, use the balloon whisk attachment on your mixer to whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar, whisking on a high speed until it’s stiff and glossy. This should take about 10 minutes.
Cover the lemon curd with the meringue. You can either use a piping bag with a nozzle to pipe the meringue onto the curd or you could use a spoon and a palette knife, making peaks with the back of the spoon or knife.
Place the pie in the oven and bake for eight–10 minutes, until the meringue is light golden. Allow the pie to cool before cutting into slices.
ABOUT THE CHEF
Gearoid Lynch is the proprietor of the award-winning Olde Post Inn in Cloverhill and regarded as one of the best ‘gluten free’ chefs in the country.
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