BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL AND UTTERLY DELICIOUS, SARAH JOHNSON’S RECIPES WILL TURN YOUR SEASONAL HARVEST INTO SOMETHING IRRESISTIBLE
Lemon curd tart
My head chef at Chez Panisse, Mary Jo, taught me to pour the hot curd directly into the pre-baked tart shell, resulting in a smooth and even set. The recipe calls for a generous amount of eggs, but don’t be put off, it’s worth every mouthful. The short buttery pastry with the delicate, zesty curd is the definition of summer.
SERVES 10-12
• 25cm tart tin, lined with shortcrust pastry (right) and blind baked
• 400ml lemon juice
• Zest 7 lemons
• 340g caster sugar
• 245g unsalted butter
• 360g eggs (about 8 eggs)
• 230g egg yolks (about 12 eggs)
• 1tbsp full-fat milk
1 First make the pastr y case and bake following the recipe for the shortcrust pastry. Leave the oven on.
2 In a heav y-based pan, combine the lemon juice and zest, sugar and butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and milk. Place the pan over medium heat, then wrap a tea towel around the base of the bowl to stabilise it, keeping it within reach. Give the lemon juice mixture a gentle stir to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.
3 When the lemon mixture begins to simmer, slowly ladle it into the eggs in a steady stream, whisking as you go and taking care not to curdle the eggs. Return the mixture to the pan and, using a spatula, slowly and continuously stir until the curd coats the back of the spatula. You can use a whisk if the mixture seems lumpy but use it sparingly so as not to incorporate too much air.
4 Immediately strain through a sieve into the prepared tart tin and place it into the oven for 3min. The tart is done when the edges are set but the centre has a gentle wobble. If the centre still seems loose, cook for another 2-3min. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Shortcrust pastry
• 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 250g plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 3tsp caster sugar
• ½tsp salt
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 To make the shortcrust pastry, toss the butter with the flour, place into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 30min or up to overnight.
2 Once the butter and flour are properly chilled, remove them from the refrigerator and tip into a food processor along with the sugar and salt. Blitz until the dough is the texture of breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the whole egg and egg yolk and continue mixing until the eggs are fully incorporated.
3 Tip the dough on to a clean work surface and bring it together with your hands. Shape in
