Tarte Au Citron – Lemon Tart like no other

• Tart Shell
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ sticks butter
• ½ cup icing sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• Filling
• 3 eggs (see pro tip below)
• 3 egg yolks
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅔ cup lemon juice
• 1 stick butter
• 6 tbsp sour cream
• pinch of salt
• > Pro Tip: I typically use two eggs, but after giving this recipe some thought, I've written it with three eggs to ensure a richer, more luxurious filling that's even more silky and indulgent. The extra egg yolk adds richness without overpowering the delicate lemon flavour, and it helps create that perfect custard-like texture we're after. Feel free to adjust to your preference—two eggs will give you a slightly lighter filling, while three gives you pure decadence!

Instructions

1. 1

   Beat the butter and sugar together, add salt. Sift in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Knead gently by hand and shape into a disk. Store in the fridge for half an hour, but not longer. Roll between two lightly floured parchment paper sheets. Roll out to as perfect a circle as you can, which is slightly longer than the diameter plus double the height of the tart shell. My tart pan was 10" (25cm) in diameter and 1" (2.5cm) in height; be sure to use a tart pan with a removable bottom. Therefore, I rolled my dough into a circle of just over 12" (30cm) in diameter. Transfer this to the shell as carefully as you can without breaking it. If it breaks, gently fix the dough by evenly pinching it with your fingers. Take care to press it into all the crevices of the tart shell. Make sure it's all the same thickness. If you need to repair the top of the shell, add a piece of extra dough to the bottom of the shell and push it upwards. Roll a clean rolling pin over the tart shell to cut off the excess dough. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet to avoid accidentally breaking it, dock it with a fork, and chill for at least 45 minutes. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 20–25 minutes (23 for me) until it just begins to brown like a sugar cookie but is still very pale all around. It will shrink slightly, but don't worry—the recipe accounts for that. Cool completely before filling. Take care not to break it.

2. 2

   Combine the eggs, egg yolks, salt, and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (this is called a double boiler and creates a sabayon).

3. 3

   Your sabayon will need to be cooked while being constantly whisked to avoid scrambling the eggs, for 8–10 minutes total; make sure the internal temperature reaches 175°F (79°C), at which point your eggs will be fully cooked and safe to eat. Add the lemon juice in 3 additions throughout the cooking process. Turn off the heat, leave the bowl in the double boiler, and start adding butter one tablespoon (15ml) at a time, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, waiting for each piece to incorporate before adding the next. Strain into a clean bowl. Add the sour cream and mix it in well. Pour into the cooled tart and chill for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!