Lemon tart

By Pippa Mattei

Photo by Ray Attard

Lemons from Pippa’s tree make the perfect ingredients for her lemon tart, best enjoyed with a dollop of crème fraîche, under the shade of a tree in the garden

Pippa’s lemon tart

Serves 14

Ingredients

The dough

• 350g plain flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 120g cold, unsalted butter, cut into 2cm pieces
• 6 tbsp cold lard, cut into 2cm pieces
• 6 tbsp very cold water

Filling

• 6 – 8 lemons 
• 6 large eggs
• 175g caster sugar
• 200ml fresh cream

To serve

• Icing sugar
• Crème fraîche

Method

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. 
2. Add the pieces of butter and lard and toss to coat with flour. 
3. Using two knives, cut the pieces of fat into the flour mixture until they are no larger than small peas. 
4. Dribble the water over the mixture and toss with a fork until the dough is evenly moist and begins to come together in a rough mass.
5. Remove the dough to a work surface and shape into a disk. 
6. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours. 
7. Bring out when needed, allow to reach room temperature and on a floured surface roll out a circle a few centimetres larger then your flan dish. 
8. Fit into the lightly oiled dish and press into the sides leaving a small overlap. 
9. Prick pastry all over with a fork and brush with lightly beaten egg white. 
10. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 20 mins till golden. 
11. In the meantime prepare the lemon filling by grating the zest of the lemons and squeezing enough juice to give 275ml. 
12. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk to combine, but don’t overdo it or the eggs will thicken. 
13. Add the lemon juice and zest followed by the cream and whisk lightly. 
14. Pour all into a 1.2 litre jug and set aside until the pastry is cooked.
15. When the pastry is golden, turn down the oven to 180°C and pull out oven shelf with cooked tart and carefully pour your prepared lemon filling into the tart.
16. Bake for approx 30 mins or until the tart is set and feels springy in the centre. 
17. Let it cool for about half and hour if you want to serve it warm. 
18. Dust with icing sugar just before serving with chilled crème fraîche.