One of the best gifts that a city cook can receive is a simple bag of just-picked, tree-ripened fruit from a friend’s garden. Judy Mac kept me supplied with gorgeous, deep red-orange persimmons from her Sonoma home during the holidays. Late last week, she banished my winter blues with a full sack of brilliant, orange-yellow Meyer lemons—sunshine in a bag.

These fragrant, juicy fruits are a cross between an orange and a lemon and are rounder than most commercial lemons. They were brought to the United States from China in the early twentieth century by botanical explorer Frank N. Meyer. Today they are a favorite with home gardeners and sold in upscale markets December through May. 

As I admired the lemons my mind danced with all the possibilities—mousse, ice cream or cookie bars—hmmm… I decided on a silky Meyer lemon curd tart that oozes with sweet citrus flavor. The perfect ending to my Sunday dinner. 

This classic treat is simply custard thickened with eggs, cooked on the stovetop, cooled and spooned into a pre-baked tart crust. It’s a great make-ahead dessert that requires overnight chilling. Remove it from the refrigerator just before serving and decorate with a thin slice of the Meyer lemon in the center. Simple. Elegant. Amazing!

Meyer Lemon Tart

1          recipe              Meyer Lemon Tart Crust

1 ½      cups                sugar

1          medium           Meyer lemon, zested

½         cup                   butter, room temperature         

4                                   eggs, room temperature

1/2       cup                   freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1/8       teaspoon          salt

1            slice                 Meyer lemon for decoration 

Directions

Before getting started, set a strainer over a heat-proof bowl close at hand.

1. Place the sugar in your food processor.

2. Add the Meyer lemon zest and process until well combined.

3. Add the butter and process to blend.

4. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the Meyer lemon juice and the salt.

5. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook very slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (about 10 minutes). Do not allow the custard to boil. To check the consistency, lift your stirring spoon from the mixture and swipe a finger across its back; if your finger leaves a clear path on the spoon, the curd is ready to come off the heat.

6. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the curd through a strainer into a medium bowl.

7. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

8. Spoon the curd into the pre-baked and cooled tart crust and cover with plastic wrap.

9. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, until well chilled.

10. Remove the tart from the refrigerator just before serving. Place a decorative slice of Meyer lemon in the center if you wish.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 9:50 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.