Lemon -how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....Definitely another one for the list of desert island foods. Is there a more versatile ingredient than the humble lemon? Sweet or savoury, leading lady or best supporting actor -it's lemon all the way. On a hot Summers day it can cut through the heaviness like The Bride on her Kill Bill revenge trail. In Winter months it brings a little bit of sunshine into the long, dark evenings. Lemon meringue pie was my all time favourite childhood dessert. It has been sort of replaced in adulthood by what is perceived to be a more refined, elegant thing -le tarte au citron. Bring back the lemon meringue pie I say...watch this space! For now let us do the tart.....

Lemon Tart

Make a quantity of shortcrust pastry http://eatyerwords.blogspot.ie/2012/06/ooh-la-frangipane-tart.html

You can make one big tart or make some mini ones whatever takes your fancy.

For the filling;

Zest 5 lemons and whisk them up with 270g caster sugar


Ah it's like lemon snow!

Whisk up 4 eggs into the lemon snow
Add the juice of the 5 lemons
Set over a bain marie and gently bring them up to temperature, keep stirring until the eggs have cooked and formed into a curd -when the mixture coats the back of a spoon you've got it (20 mins)
Have 300g butter cut into cubes and at room temp
Allow the curd to cool for 10 mins then begin to incorporate your butter bit by bit
Fill your pastry case/cases with your curd mixture and place the tarts into the fridge to chill
Serve with a sprig of mint and a nice cup of earl grey tea or lemonade