Citrus tang

LEMON SHERBET MERINGUE PIE (Makes 8 slices)

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry: 225g plain flour; pinch of salt; 170g ice-cold butter, cut into small cubes; 1 egg whisked with 1tsp ice-cold water; 1tbsp caster sugar

For the filling: 300ml lemon juice; 100ml lime juice; 100ml orange or tangerine juice 50ml water; 240g caster sugar; 1tsp salt; zest of 1 grapefruit; 4tbsp cornflour; 100ml gin; 170g butter; 6 egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs

For the meringue: 350g golden caster sugar; 4 egg whites; 1tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. First make the pastry. Place the flour in a food processor with the salt and sugar and whizz for a few seconds. Add the butter, and whizz again for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Turn out into a fridge-cold mixing bowl, and with a cold knife, slowly add enough of the whisked egg and water to bind the mixture together, being careful not to make the dough too wet.

2. Bind the pastry into a ball. Kneading will make it tough, so try to handle it as little as possible. Lay the pastry on a baking sheet and roll out to flatten a little. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes or until needed.

3. When ready to make the pie, preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C/gas mark 5. Dust the work surface with flour and roll out the pastry to the thickness of a 50p piece. Carefully line a 24cm deep tart tin, letting the pastry overhang the edge so you can trim it once it has been blind baked.

4. Place the lined tin in the freezer for 10 minutes and then line the raw pastry with greaseproof paper filled with baking beans and blind bake it for 20 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and greaseproof paper and pop it back for a further 10 minutes. Take out and leave to cool. Turn the oven down to 140°C/120°C/gas mark 1.

6. When the pastry is cool, trim the edges away with a knife, carving off the excess against the side of the tin, then brush away any crumbs with a pastry brush.

7. While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling. Put the juices, water, sugar, salt and zest in a pan and bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour with the gin to form a smooth paste and whisk this into the juice mixture. Keep whisking and it will start to thicken. Lower the heat and add the butter, whisking until it has all melted.

8. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the eggs, beating furiously until you have a lovely smooth consistency. Leave to rest, covered with cling film touching the surface of the sherbet curd to stop a skin forming while the base bakes and cools.

9. When ready to fill the tart, sieve the filling into the tart case to ensure a perfectly silky consistency. Level with a spatula and return to the oven for 30 minutes.

10. To make the meringue, place the sugar in a saucepan and add four tablespoons of water and the vanilla. Bring to the boil until the sugar is melted, but do not stir as this will crystallise the sugar syrup. Whisk the egg whites into soft peaks so they fall down on themselves, and keeping the whisk going, slowly pour in the sugar syrup until it is all incorporated.

11. With a metal spoon, top the tart with the meringue, creating peaks as you go.

12. Turn the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/gas mark 4 and cook the pie for 10 minutes until golden brown on top.