José Pizarro's técula-mécula

Serves 10 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

To make the crust, mix the flour with a pinch of fine sea salt in a bowl. Add the butter and lard and rub them into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then gradually add 55ml cold water, mixing with a knife, until it comes together into a soft dough.

Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until it is smooth and soft. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc, then wrap in cling film or an alternative and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of 2-3mm. Press the pastry into a 25cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin, then trim away the excess. Put the tin in the fridge while you make the filling.

Combine the sugar with 325ml water and the lemon zest in a small, heavy pan set over a low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until you have a thick syrup. Remove from the heat and cool until just warm.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4 and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat up.

In a bowl, beat the butter with an electric whisk until soft, then beat in the ground almonds.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are creamy. Gradually pour the sugar syrup into the yolks, whisking constantly, then continue to whisk until the mixture has doubled. Add the almond mixture and the flour and beat until smooth.

Scoop the filling into the prepared crust. Bake the tart on the hot baking sheet for 35–40 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, still in its tin, and leave to cool.

Remove the tart tin sides and slide the cooled tart on to a serving plate to serve at room temperature.

This recipe featured in the June 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.