Lemon Curd Tart with Fresh Raspberries

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom
• •Pie weights or dried beans
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Microplane zester

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pastry dough

   Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and work them into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces remaining. These butter pieces will create the tender, crumbly texture you want. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla. Drizzle over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough just begins to clump together. It will look shaggy. That is right.

   Cold butter is everything here. If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour and bowl for twenty minutes before you begin.
2. 2

   Press and chill the shell

   Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and press it together into a disk. Do not knead. Transfer the dough directly into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides, using your knuckles to work it into the fluted edges. The dough should be about 1/8-inch thick throughout. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until very firm. This rest prevents shrinking.

3. 3

   Blind bake the shell

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line the chilled shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, pressing them into the corners. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and parchment. The edges will be pale gold, the bottom still slightly raw. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the entire shell is deep golden and the bottom looks dry. Cool completely on a wire rack.

   Watch the final minutes closely. The difference between golden and burnt happens quickly. Trust your nose as much as your eyes.
4. 4

   Prepare the lemons

   While the shell bakes, zest all four lemons using a microplane, taking only the bright yellow layer and avoiding the bitter white pith. You should have about 2 tablespoons of zest. Then juice the lemons. You need 3/4 cup of fresh juice. Strain out the seeds but leave the pulp. The oils in fresh zest have an aliveness that bottled juice will never give you.

5. 5

   Cook the lemon curd

   In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is fragrant and slightly damp. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and salt. Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon and leaves a clear trail when you draw your finger across it, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let it boil or the eggs will curdle.

   Patience here. The curd thickens slowly, then suddenly. Keep the heat gentle and your whisk moving.
6. 6

   Finish and strain the curd

   Remove the pan from heat immediately. Add the butter one piece at a time, whisking after each addition until melted and incorporated. The butter makes the curd silky and rich. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg and the zest. Press the curd through with a spatula. You want it perfectly smooth.

7. 7

   Fill and set the tart

   Pour the warm curd into the cooled tart shell. It should fill the shell nearly to the top. Gently shake the pan to level the surface. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the curd is completely set and cold throughout. The tart can be made to this point a day ahead.

8. 8

   Top with raspberries and serve

   Just before serving, remove the tart from the refrigerator and carefully unmold it from the pan. Arrange the raspberries over the surface of the curd in concentric circles, or scatter them in a way that feels natural to you. Do not wash the berries until the last moment, and pat them dry gently. Wet berries will make the curd weep. Serve within an hour of adding the fruit.

Chef Tips

• •Buy your butter from a farmer who raises their own cows, or choose a European-style butter with high fat content. The flavor of the butter is the flavor of the pastry.
• •Raspberries are at their peak from late spring through early summer. If you are making this in winter, consider blood orange segments or passion fruit instead. Seasonal eating means waiting for the right moment.
• •The tart shell can be baked a day ahead and stored at room temperature. The curd can be made two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Add the berries only when you are ready to serve.
• •If your lemons are not fragrant, they will not give you fragrant curd. Smell before you buy. This is the whole philosophy.

Advance Preparation

• •The tart shell can be baked one day ahead. Store at room temperature, loosely covered.
• •The lemon curd can be made up to three days ahead. Keep it refrigerated with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface.
• •The fully assembled tart without raspberries can be refrigerated overnight. Add the berries just before serving.
• •Once topped with raspberries, serve within one hour. The berries will begin to weep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)