Lemon Meringue Tart

Combine the flour, icing sugar, and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add the egg yolks and ice-cold water, mixing until the dough just comes together — do not overwork.

Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Trim the edges, prick the base all over with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes until firm.

Line the tart shell with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes until the edges are pale gold, then remove the parchment and beans.

Return the shell to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes until the base is deep golden and completely dry to the touch. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).

Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, caster sugar, whole eggs, and egg yolks in a heavy-based saucepan until smooth. Add the room-temperature butter and set the pan aside — do not put it on the heat yet.

Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook the curd, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula and scraping the base and sides, for approximately 10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reads 82°C on an instant-read thermometer — do not allow it to boil.

Strain the curd immediately through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug, then pour into the cooled tart shell.

Bake at 150°C for 12–15 minutes until the filling is set at the edges but retains a slight wobble at the centre.

Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully set.

Combine the caster sugar and water for the meringue in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Clip on a sugar thermometer and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches 121°C (soft-ball stage), about 5–6 minutes.

While the syrup cooks, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.

With the mixer running on medium, pour the hot syrup in a thin, steady stream down the side of the bowl onto the egg whites. Increase to high speed and whisk for 8–10 minutes until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bowl feels cool to the touch. The scalding syrup cooks the egg white thoroughly as it is whisked in, so this Italian meringue is fully safe to eat as is — no baking or torching is required for food safety, only for colour and flavour.

Spoon or pipe the Italian meringue generously over the chilled tart, creating peaks and swoops. Toast with a kitchen blowtorch, moving in short passes until deeply caramelised in patches. Serve immediately or return to the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.