Green and purple make not just a great color combination, but also an ultra aromatic bouquet in this lemon curd tart!
ingredients for a 16cm diameter tart (total cost about 6€ for the whole preparation with organic ingredients)
a portion of our basic sucrèe dough for tarts made with
- 62,5 g pastry flour
- 37,5 g butter
- 18,75 g superfine sugar
- zest from ¼ lemon
- 12,5 g egg (1/4)
- 0,5 g salt
- 10 g ground almond
for the lemon curd
- zest and juice from 3 green organic lemons (100 ml lemon juice)
- 100 g eggs (about 2 medium eggs) + 30 g egg yolks (about 1,5-2 medium egg yolks)
- 100 g di zucchero
- 10 g cornstarch
- 100 g di burro
- 5 g purple basil leaves
- more purple basil leaves to decorate + freshly graded green lemon zest
Curd is a fruit cream most commonly made with citrus fruit, such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, or tangerine, that does not contain milk, therefore much lighter and with a feeling of freshness.
It is basically used as a spread and topping, rather than a dessert eaten on its own. It can also be folded into whipped cream and used as a filling for puff pastries or a topping for cakes and pies.
A classic pastry where lemon curd in specific is used, is the lemon curd tart. This time I made a version in which I used fresh purple basil leaves, both to enhance the aromas of the cream and also to add a chromatic contrast to its decoration. As I wanted to make a smooth, silky cream I did not use gelatin, so I added a 10% cornstarch, instead.
So, first of all, we prepare a portion of our “basic sucrèe dough for tarts” (see NOTE 1) using the amounts of ingredients given here. After the prepared dough has chilled in the fridge, we roll it out to a 3 mm disc and line a 16 cm tart ring, previously well buttered (see NOTE 2). We keep in the fridge.
While the tart shell is resting in the fridge, we prepare the lemon curd. We finely chop the basil leaves and mix them with the sugar, to let the sugar absorb their aromas. We zest 2 lemons, then squeeze the lemons to collect 100 ml of juice. We heat the lemon juice, add 5 g of basil leaves and let infuse covered with cling film, until it cools down.
Meanwhile in a bowl suitable for bain marie, we whisk the whole eggs and yolks, the sugar and cornstarch. We slowly pour the cooled and strained lemon juice over the eggs while whisking, until well incorporated, then add the lemon zest. We put the bowl over a double boiler (bain marie), filled with boiling water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. We cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens, then we remove it from the heat. Its final texture should resemble that of a crème anglaise.
We filter the preparation through a sieve, we let it cool down for a while, then add the butter, softened and cut in pieces. We blend with an immersion blender for a few minutes, so that the butter incorporates and the cream obtains a silky texture. We cover with cling film in contact and let it cool in the fridge.
While the cream is chilling in the fridge, we proceed to a full blind baking of our tart shell. Once ready, we let the tart shell cool completely.
After the baked tart shell has cooled, we poor over the lemon curd and, if necessary, smooth the surface with a spatula, then return the tart to the oven for 2-3 minutes, to help the curd set. We let the tart cool at room temperature, then keep it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours, before consuming.
We decorate with freshly graded green lemon zest and small purple basil leaves.
NOTE 1: See how to make your own sweet short (sucrèe) dough qui
NOTE 2: Υou will find a detailed guide on how to perfectly line and form a tart shell qui
