Lime Meringue Tart

TIME1 hour MAKES1 9-inch (22cm) tart PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

I love an extra tart lemon or lime tart, so I lean towards curd-based citrus tarts (which are more sour, but less smooth in texture than a custard-based tart). This is an adaption of David Lebovitz’s lime meringue tart recipe, with the main difference being a slight reduction in the amount of sugar.

INGREDIENTS

Lime curd

  • 115g unsalted butter (cut into 1cm cubes)
  • 180ml freshly-squeezed lime juice (about 5-6 limes)
  • 140g sugar
  • zest of two limes, unsprayed (see Note)
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 3 large eggs

Swiss Meringue

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 75g sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • a few drops vanilla extract

STEPS

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Lime curd

  1. In a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water, warm the butter, lime juice, sugar, zest, and salt.

  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the yolks.

  3. When the butter has melted and the mixture is warm, gradually pour some of the warm lime juice mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Scrape the warmed eggs back into the double boiler and cook the mixture over low heat.

  4. Stir the mixture constantly over low heat, using the whisk, until the filling thickens and begins to resemble soft jelly. Do not let it boil. When done, strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve.

  1. Pour the curd into the pre-baked tart shell, and bake for 10 minutes.

Swiss Meringue

  1. To make the meringue, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk it as it heats, checking it with an instant-read thermometer.

  2. Once it reaches 60ºC, transfer the bowl to the standing mixer and beat at high speed until cool, scraping down the sides once of the mixer bowl, midway during mixing, and add the vanilla. Whip until the meringue is light and fluffy.

Topping the tart

  1. Scrape the meringue into a pasty bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a ring around the perimeter of the tart. Or spread across the tart with a spatula.

  2. Using a kitchen torch, torch the top of the meringue until caramelized.

NOTES

The tart is best eaten the day it is made. You can refrigerate any leftovers. If you wish to make the lime filling in advance, you can make it and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.