traditional lemon curd tart – smitten kitchen

Make the crust: Mix the flour, salt, and sugar within the bowl of a meals processor. Add butter and mix till the combination kinds massive clumps — simply maintain operating it; it would take one other full minute for it to come back collectively, however it’ll. Set a marble or two of dough apart, and switch the remainder of it to a 9-inch spherical tart pan with a detachable backside [I’m using this one] set on a big baking sheet (for drips and stability). Press the dough evenly throughout the underside and up the perimeters. Switch to the freezer for quarter-hour, till strong.

Parbake crust: As soon as agency, prick throughout with a fork. Coat a bit of foil with nonstick spray and press it oiled-side-down tightly in opposition to the frozen crust, so it’s tightly molded to the form. Bake tart with foil (no pie weights wanted) for 20 minutes, then fastidiously, gently, slightly at a time, peel again foil and discard. If cracks have fashioned, use the marbles of dough you put aside to patch it. Return the crust to the oven for five minutes, till golden at edges and dry to the contact. Set the crust apart.

In the meantime, make the filling: Place sugar and salt in a medium-sized pot and effective grate the zest of 4 lemons over it. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar and salt, releasing as a lot taste as you may and breaking apart the zest strips slightly. Add eggs and whisk till evenly mixed. Squeeze the lemons to make a strained 2/3 cup of juice and whisk juice into egg-sugar-zest combination.

Switch the saucepan to the range and warmth over low-medium, stirring always as soon as the combination begins to heat, till thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. [It will thicken at about 175°F, or just below a simmer, but it should both look thicker and feel thicker, as your whisk will drag a little.] Add butter, a bit or two at a time, and stir till melted. Take away from warmth and pour into the tart crust. (It’s effective if the crust remains to be scorching from the oven.)

Bake the tart: For quarter-hour or till the filling is generally set. Chill the tart fully within the fridge; it’ll end setting as soon as cool.

Serve: Gently push up on the underside of the tart pan to drag down the perimeters of the pan. Switch the tart to serving plate and lower into wedges. Serve with dollops of whipped cream and contemporary berries.