[food] Lemon meringue pie
Jan. 6th, 2016 10:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaberett... because this is now the second time I've cooked it, and I made exactly the same set of modifications, so I might as well write it down so as to have the recipe the way I do it next time instead of having to reconstruct it from several different sources again.
Heavily modified from the Graun and the BBC, because of course it is. (But seriously, though, who puts cornflour in meringue. WHAT IS IT FOR.)
For the curd
250ml lemon juice (or anywhere over 200ml lemon juice made up to 250ml with water; this is five large lemons or six+ small ones)
zest of same (this works better via the zester on the box grater than the fiddly zest peeler, if aiming for a smooth texture)
25g corn flour
175g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
25g butter
For the pastry
standard shortcrust (~250g flour, 125g butter; 1 tbsp lemon juice to start it pulling together)
+ about a teaspoon of the lemon zest
+ 1tbsp of vanilla sugar at the rubbing-together stage (if feeling enthusiastic)
For the meringue
50g of sugar (icing sugar or caster or a mix; preferably vanilla as far as I'm concerned) per egg
in this case, 4 egg whites (separated from the yolks into a scrupulously clean & dry bowl) + 200g sugar
Method
Prep lemons (zest then juice).
Set oven heating to 180degC (fan)/GM6.
Make the pastry, trim to fit the dish you're baking in, and pop in the oven for 20 minutes until just starting to turn golden. (You can bake it blind or brush it with egg if you like, but the latter isn't reaaaally necessary for this and I can never quite be bothered with the former.)
While the case is baking (and cooling), make the curd. Place the zest and cornflour in a pan and add the lemon juice gradually, whisking as you go to minimise the number of corn flour lumps. Once incorporated add sugar and egg yolks and heat gently while stirring. Once warmed, add butter; stir until it's dissolved, then bring the curd to the boil. It should thicken up nicely. Pour it into the case (a silicone spatula is very helpful here) and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, preheat the oven again, this time to 140degC. While that's happening, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (I refuse to make meringue when I don't have access to electric beaters) then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until the mixture once again forms stiff peaks. It will get whiter and glossier as you go; I never bother sifting my sugar and it all seems to work out.
Once all the sugar is incorporated, use two tablespoons to dollop it across the top of the (cooled) curd to get reasonably even coverage. (Use a silicone spatula again to clean the bowl out.)
Cook in the oven for an hour, until the meringue is turning a pale golden brown. Turn off the heat, open the door very slightly, and leave to cool -- for at least an hour. (The first time I made meringues I took the first batch out immediately and left the second batch in to cool; the first batch cracked, the second didn't, and that's the why.)
Once it's cooled all the way down, turn it out and serve.
ETA 18/02/2018 A requested that I try this with Italian meringue, and lo, It Was Good. So for 4 egg whites that's 225g caster sugar, six tablespoons of water, heat to 115degC, beat into stiff-peak egg whites, use to top. Piping worked but needs a larger nozzle.
ETA 18/05/2018: I got this wrong last time I tried it, so let's try it again, eh? For 80g of egg white I want 200g caster sugar and 75ml water. It scales (and I... might yet want to use more egg white up, whoops). Let's see how that goes.
ETA 11/01/2024: for two eggs, 70 g egg white/175 g sugar/66g water is indeed good. Overall texture is improved by sticking it in the oven at ~120°C for an hour or so.
Heavily modified from the Graun and the BBC, because of course it is. (But seriously, though, who puts cornflour in meringue. WHAT IS IT FOR.)
For the curd
250ml lemon juice (or anywhere over 200ml lemon juice made up to 250ml with water; this is five large lemons or six+ small ones)
zest of same (this works better via the zester on the box grater than the fiddly zest peeler, if aiming for a smooth texture)
25g corn flour
175g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
25g butter
For the pastry
standard shortcrust (~250g flour, 125g butter; 1 tbsp lemon juice to start it pulling together)
+ about a teaspoon of the lemon zest
+ 1tbsp of vanilla sugar at the rubbing-together stage (if feeling enthusiastic)
For the meringue
50g of sugar (icing sugar or caster or a mix; preferably vanilla as far as I'm concerned) per egg
in this case, 4 egg whites (separated from the yolks into a scrupulously clean & dry bowl) + 200g sugar
Method
Prep lemons (zest then juice).
Set oven heating to 180degC (fan)/GM6.
Make the pastry, trim to fit the dish you're baking in, and pop in the oven for 20 minutes until just starting to turn golden. (You can bake it blind or brush it with egg if you like, but the latter isn't reaaaally necessary for this and I can never quite be bothered with the former.)
While the case is baking (and cooling), make the curd. Place the zest and cornflour in a pan and add the lemon juice gradually, whisking as you go to minimise the number of corn flour lumps. Once incorporated add sugar and egg yolks and heat gently while stirring. Once warmed, add butter; stir until it's dissolved, then bring the curd to the boil. It should thicken up nicely. Pour it into the case (a silicone spatula is very helpful here) and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, preheat the oven again, this time to 140degC. While that's happening, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (I refuse to make meringue when I don't have access to electric beaters) then add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until the mixture once again forms stiff peaks. It will get whiter and glossier as you go; I never bother sifting my sugar and it all seems to work out.
Once all the sugar is incorporated, use two tablespoons to dollop it across the top of the (cooled) curd to get reasonably even coverage. (Use a silicone spatula again to clean the bowl out.)
Cook in the oven for an hour, until the meringue is turning a pale golden brown. Turn off the heat, open the door very slightly, and leave to cool -- for at least an hour. (The first time I made meringues I took the first batch out immediately and left the second batch in to cool; the first batch cracked, the second didn't, and that's the why.)
Once it's cooled all the way down, turn it out and serve.
ETA 18/02/2018 A requested that I try this with Italian meringue, and lo, It Was Good. So for 4 egg whites that's 225g caster sugar, six tablespoons of water, heat to 115degC, beat into stiff-peak egg whites, use to top. Piping worked but needs a larger nozzle.
ETA 18/05/2018: I got this wrong last time I tried it, so let's try it again, eh? For 80g of egg white I want 200g caster sugar and 75ml water. It scales (and I... might yet want to use more egg white up, whoops). Let's see how that goes.
ETA 11/01/2024: for two eggs, 70 g egg white/175 g sugar/66g water is indeed good. Overall texture is improved by sticking it in the oven at ~120°C for an hour or so.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-01-06 10:49 pm (UTC)update 07/01/2023 I realised this some time ago but felt the need today, finally, to edit it in: I Was Wrong and was overbeating my egg whites out of an abundance of But The Instructions Said Stiff. LET THE RECORD SHOW.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-01-07 07:07 am (UTC)What size pie dish do you use? Also, pie or flan?
(no subject)
Date: 2016-01-07 08:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2016-01-07 08:16 am (UTC)(Also, we own a book called Meringue Magic. It has recipes for parmesan meringue sticks. This seems rtyi.)