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Heston's Lemon tart Zoomer icon

Heston's Lemon tart

Heston's Lemon tart

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Heston's Lemon tart

"The set of this tart depends on precision. If you have a digital probe, whisk the tart filling until it reaches 75°C. It should set perfectly. If you don’t have a digital probe, follow the instructions carefully and the tart will be equally delicious. It is also important that you use a really good quality, all-butter shortcrust pastry for the best results." Heston

Serves:
 6

Ingredients

375g frozen Cooks’ Ingredients All Butter Shortcrust Pastry, thawed (2 x 250g in one pack)
4 Waitrose Foundation Unwaxed Lemons* (juice of 4, finely grated zest of 3)
170g unsalted butter, cubed
220g unrefined, golden caster sugar
5 medium Waitrose Columbian Blacktail Free Range Eggs,
1 medium Waitrose Columbian Blacktail Free Range Egg yolk, beaten


You will also need some baking beans

Method

Roll the pastry between 2 sheets of clingfilm to a thickness of 2mm. It should be 10cm wider than the tart case. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Peel off the clingfilm, roll the pastry around a rolling pin, lift it over a 23cm tart case and unroll it so the edges hang over the sides. Press the pastry to fit the tin leaving the edges overhanging to trim after baking (this will ensure the tart case is unaffected by the pastry shrinking). Prick with a fork and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Take a sheet of parchment larger than the tart tin, scrunch it up and lay over the pastry (this will make it easier to fit into the edges of the tart). Place baking beans on top and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the parchment and beans and return the tart to the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before running a knife around the tin edge to remove the excess pastry. Carefully lift the tart case out of the tin and place on a serving plate.

While the case is cooling, zest 3 lemons and reserve, then roll all 4 of the lemons on a work surface with the palm of your hand (to release more juice). Juice them and measure out 150ml.

Put the butter and sugar into a pan with the juice, zest and eggs and place the pan over a medium heat. Stir continuously for 10-15 minutes (do not allow to simmer) until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir until it begins to simmer; simmer for 5 seconds only, then remove from the heat. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with clingfilm to avoid a skin forming, and place the bowl in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

When cold, pour the lemon filling into the centre of the tart allowing the lemon curd to flow evenly to the edges. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until set, before serving with crème fraîche and fresh raspberries.

Copyright © Heston Blumenthal 2011

Additional information

Eggs: recipes containing raw or semi-cooked egg are not suitable for pregnant women, elderly people, or those with weak immune systems.

* The Waitrose Foundation is celebrating its anniversary – find out more at waitrose.com/foundation.

Comments and images

Average user rating 4 stars out of 5

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Little Jersey Royal

Little Jersey Royal 03 November 2011 13:02

I'm going to give this lemon tart a go on Saturday, for dinner on Sunday, But all the cooks that had success with the tart, did you use the food temperature thermometer thingy? not sure whether to buy one or not.

 29 June 2011 17:14

I asked on June 10 whether anyone knew if this tart would freeze. In the absence of any reply I made it and froze it. I defrosetd it for guests a few days ago and am happy to report that it freezes and defrosts well. I noted all the comments before I made it and kept the filling on a medium heat until it looked thicker and it was fine. It was easy to make and very tasty to eat - I would definitely make it again. One thing about freezing it, it was attractive, flavourful and well-presented after defrosting but the next day it had started to come away from the crust at the sides. If you freeze it, you need to eat it straightaway.

 26 June 2011 17:40

I've just made two of these for a dinner party of 16 and they went down a storm. Easy to make and lovely flavour. Another top recipe Waitrose!

june t cox

june t cox 25 June 2011 19:35

I took note that some had said the filling didn't set so didn't put it in pastry case. The result was a beautifully tasty lemon curd which I spooned onto the pastry. Delicious.

 21 June 2011 12:27

Another Waitrose flop !! This is a rubbish recipe! I'm quite an experienced cook , and the filling did not set at all, as did so many others who tried it.... I'm very dissapointed at Waitrose at having wasted my time and money on a recipe which was clearly not tested. I'd think twice about using another of these recipes- maybe only the salads . One should not have to return something to the oven to set - or perhaps some dry ice in there somewhere would hyave done the trick ! Heston should keep his theatrics for his own restuarant.

x0116181

x0116181 20 June 2011 21:05

I had no trouble making this recepie, just followed the instructions! I used my own sweet pastry as I don't like to cheat & use shop bought ingredients. I think the tart was even better the next day. It would be more than enough for 6 people as suggested in the recepie. A must for lemon lovers

 19 June 2011 19:47

Absolutely delicious flavour of sweet, sharp lemons and lovely pastry. Read the comments about not it setting so I whisked til it became thicker over a low to medium flame - the tart is now setting in the fridge but will definitely be giving it longer than an hour. Agree with the comment that a few more details and explanation could be given.

I just came across the comments on the waitrose site, and saw the comments about this tart being complicated and not setting. I picked up this recipe card and ingredients on Thursday and made it for desert that evening. I found the recipe very simple, and I have rarely cooked with pastry before. Mine was a little thick (but I do like a nice crust anyway). I didn't have any pastry beans so I used raw rice. The tart turned out beautifully and I intend to cook another next weekend to take to a tea party. I recommend this recipe. Mine took a couple of hours to set, rather than an hour as advised on the card but otherwise it was perfect.

 18 June 2011 18:49

I just came across the comments on the waitrose site, and saw the comments about this tart being complicated and not setting. I picked up this recipe card and ingredients on Thursday and made it for desert that evening. I found the recipe very simple, and I have rarely cooked with pastry before. Mine was a little thick (but I do like a nice crust anyway). I didn't have any pastry beans so I used raw rice. The tart turned out beautifully and I intend to cook another next weekend to take to a tea party. I recommend this recipe. Mine took a couple of hours to set, rather than an hour as advised on the card but otherwise it was perfect.

Japrils

Japrils 17 June 2011 15:39

A bit of a misk-mask recipe. I would recommend to let a NON-chef try out the recipe before releasng it to the public. I am a keen home cooker and baker but even I found it difficult to understand parts of the process described in the recipe. Finally I would advise the recipe to be proof-read by someone who fully understands fthe process the recipe is trying to describe!

 12 June 2011 23:42

Mine didn't set but in the end I rescued it by baking it in the oven for another 15-20 mins until it was firm but not solid.

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4 stars out of 5

Average user rating Based on 1158 ratings

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Nutritional Info

Typical values per serving:
Energy 706kcals
Sugars 39.9g
Fat 44.2g
Saturated Fat 26.3g
Salt 0.7g

Click here for more information about health and nutrition


This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in June 2010