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St Clement’s meringue pie
Serves 6-8 Desserts and puddings
For the ginger pastry crust
- 200g plain flour, plus extra, for dusting
- 100g cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 2tbsp icing sugar
- 2tbsp crystallised ginger, very finely chopped
- 1 egg yolk
For the lemon orange curd
- grated zest and juice 4 lemons
- grated zest and juice 2 oranges
- 30g cornflour
- 3 egg yolks
- 170g caster sugar
- 20g butter
For the meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 200g caster sugar
Method
To make the pastry crust, put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to gently rub the mixture together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar and ginger, then add the egg yolk and 2tbsp of water. Using a knife, stir the mix so the crumbs bind together into a dough. Add a splash more water if needed, but be cautious – you don’t want it to be too wet.
Using your hands, squidge the pastry together and give it a quick knead on a floured work surface to create a smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ Gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of around 5mm, then use it to line a 23cm tart tin. Press the pastry firmly into the tin, then trim away any overhanging edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice.
Blind bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5-8 minutes, or until the pastry is gold. Remove from the oven and set aside, leaving the oven on.
To make the curd, put the citrus zest and juice in a saucepan along with 50ml of water. Stir in the cornflour until the mixture is smooth, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-to- low, then mix in the egg yolks, caster sugar and butter. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, for around 7-10 minutes until the mixture is thick like a custard. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then spoon into the tart case. If you like, you can refrigerate now until needed.
To make the meringue, put the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar, 1tbsp at a time, until you have a stiff, glossy mixture. Spoon over the lemon curd, using your spoon to create a swirl effect.
Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the meringue is lightly golden and browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving, to ensure that the curd is set.
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