Torched Meringue Tart with a Strawberry Crown
September 4, 2024
Posted without a caption, September 4, 2024 · View on Instagram
This one is a showpiece. It's a large tart that I finished with a single continuous spiral of meringue, piped from the center outward and torched so every ridge is outlined in gold, then ringed with a border of halved strawberries standing on edge and crowned with one berry and a leaf.
The spiral is piped on a turntable with steady pressure and a steady hand, because the eye catches any wobble in a pattern this regular. Torching does two jobs: it adds the toasted-marshmallow flavor and it throws the pattern into relief. A meringue top like this traditionally sits over a sharp filling such as lemon cream, and the fresh fruit border brings acidity and color. I never captioned this one, but it is one of the most accomplished pieces I have posted.
This article is written in Corey’s voice for this tribute site, based on his captions and blog. His own words are the quotes above.
Lemon Meringue Tart
Tarte au citron meringuée pairs a sharp lemon filling with a cloud of soft, toasted meringue in a crisp sweet shell. It is the French pâtisserie cousin of the American lemon meringue pie, with a thinner shell, a more concentrated curd and meringue that is piped and browned with a torch.
Ingredients
Pâte sucrée
- 250 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 30 g almond flour (1/3 cup)
- 95 g powdered sugar (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp)
- 2 g fine salt (1/3 tsp)
- 150 g unsalted butter, soft but cool (10 1/2 tbsp)
- 50 g egg (1 large)
Lemon curd
- 160 g fresh lemon juice (2/3 cup)
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 150 g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 150 g eggs (3 large)
- 60 g egg yolks (3 large)
- 120 g unsalted butter, cubed (8 1/2 tbsp)
- Pinch of fine salt
Swiss meringue
- 120 g egg whites (4 large)
- 240 g granulated sugar (1 cup plus 3 tbsp)
- Pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice
Method
- Make the dough: beat the butter, powdered sugar and salt until smooth, add the almond flour and egg, then the flour, mixing just until combined. Chill at least 2 hours.
- Roll to 3 mm (1/8 inch), line a 9-inch (23 cm) tart ring and chill 30 minutes. Blind bake at 350°F (175°C) with weights for 15 minutes, then 8-12 minutes without, until deep golden. Cool.
- For the curd, whisk the juice, zest, sugar, eggs, yolks and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula and scraping the bottom, until it thickens and reaches 175-180°F (80-82°C).
- Strain into a bowl and whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time until glossy. Pour into the shell, smooth the top and chill at least 3 hours until firmly set.
- For the meringue, whisk the whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl set over simmering water until the sugar has dissolved completely and the mixture reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Whip on high speed for 6-8 minutes until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds a stiff peak, and the bowl is barely warm.
- Pipe or swoop the meringue over the cold curd, making sure it touches the pastry all the way round so it does not slide.
- Brown the meringue with a blowtorch, keeping the flame moving 5-8 cm (2-3 inches) from the surface. Serve within a few hours for the best texture.
Chef’s notes
- Any trace of yolk or grease keeps whites from whipping. Wipe the bowl and whisk with a little lemon juice or vinegar first.
- Rub a little of the warm meringue mixture between your fingers before whipping. If you feel sugar grains, keep heating and whisking.
- Meringue slides or weeps on a warm or wet curd. Blot any condensation from the chilled filling before piping.
- A curd cooked in aluminium can taste metallic. Use stainless steel or enamel.
Torch or oven for browning the meringue?
Blowtorch
Most modern pastry kitchens, including Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery and Cédric Grolet
A torch colours the peaks in seconds without warming the filling, so the curd stays cold and set and the piping stays sharp. It gives full control over where the colour lands. This recipe uses this method.
Hot oven or broiler
Traditional French home baking, Julia Child, classic American lemon meringue pie
The tart goes into a very hot oven, around 475°F (245°C), for 2-4 minutes, or briefly under the broiler. It browns more evenly and lightly sets the outside of the meringue, but it warms the curd and can scorch in moments.
Drawn from the methods of
- Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel, Bouchon Bakery (2012)
- Ferrandi Paris, French Pâtisserie (2017)
- Claire Saffitz, Dessert Person (2020)
Corey has not published his own formula for this piece. This reference recipe is compiled from the published methods of the chefs and bakers listed above, written in our own words.
