A delicious lemon and lime tart recipe from Alex Crepy of Amelie Restaurants
Alex Crepy, of Amelie Restaurants, at The Grafton in Cambridge and Ben’s Yard, near Ely, discusses what to do when life gives you lemons.
Without a doubt, the lemon is the most important fruit in the French kitchen.
As our saying goes ‘Tout est bon dans le citron’ - all parts of the lemon are good – and they certainly are. From pulp to juice to peel, all is used in our classic desserts, tarts, mousse, sorbets as well as savoury dishes, with meat, fish and pasta and of course marinades, vinaigrettes, sauces and cocktails!
Abundantly grown under the blue skies and perfect temperatures of the south of France between the sea and the mountains, the countryside is a forest of lemon trees and every home will have these beautiful bright lemons growing in their gardens or in a huge terracotta pot on the stone patios.
My grandfather built a small house in this area for his children to enjoy and the following generations too as we visit with our kids. Although the climate is more apt for olive trees and vineyards, there are always a couple of lemon trees growing on the terrace and we love making the best lemon tart from the lemons picked straight from the tree.
Citrus fruits probably came from China and reached France with the Phoenicians, hundreds of years before the Greeks and Romans arrived. Early Mediterranean seafarers always carried lemons on board to fight off the dreaded scurvy on their long sea voyages, way before we knew about vitamin C.
In Provence, lemons are called the golden fruit and the most famous are grown around Menton. Le Citron de Menton is oval-shaped, very fragrant, juicy and rich in acids. Grown in exceptional terroir and the perfect climate it is farmed with traditional methods, picked by hand and never given chemical treatment.
Menton lemons were first cultivated in 15th century, becoming popular for its unique taste and over the centuries exported around the world. Menton lemons are still a gastronomic speciality today.
In 2015, it was awarded a PGI, the official recognition at European level of its properties and qualities. It is the only French lemon to have obtained this label of excellence.
Since 1934, Menton the small coastal city just down the road from Nice, holds its famous Carnaval de Menton, the lemon festival and biggest lemon party ever, attracting some 200,000 visitors.
For three weeks in February the city and its gardens host everything from parades with floats and giant sculptures, some up to 10 metres tall of intricate patterns and detailed ornaments all made and decorated with lemons and other citrus fruits – some 140 tons, to honour this precious golden fruit.
Lemons are excellent in savoury dishes, pairing well with ingredients such as asparagus, tomatoes, avocado, olive, potato, seafood and fish, chicken, eggs, ricotta, parmesan and aromatic herbs. They go equally well too with sweet foods like chocolate, blueberries, coconut, orange, rose and, for today’s recipe, we have added almond for a delicious zingy tart.
Bon appetit!
Alex Crepy
Visit www.amelierestaurants.co.uk
Lemon and lime tart – recipe
Serves 6
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp lime juice
5 eggs
200g caster sugar
125ml whipping cream
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp ground almonds
Pastry
150g salted butter, softened and diced
½ tsp salt
65g icing sugar
65g ground almonds
2 drops vanilla essence
1 medium egg
250g plain flour
Lime cream
200ml whipping cream
1 lime, finely grated zest
2 tsp icing sugar
Make the pastry: beat the butter and salt with an electric beater at high speed until white and smooth.
Beat in the icing sugar, ground almonds, vanilla essence and egg. Finally add the flour without working the pastry too much and mix to a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and rest in the refrigerator for two hours.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry, 1mm thick and use to line a greased 16cm x 3.5cm deep tart tin.
Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper a little larger than the tin. Place it in the tin over the pastry and fill with baking beans.
Leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes for the pastry to set.
Cook in a preheated oven at 150°C, gas mark 2 for 25 minutes until lightly brown.
Remove the beans and greaseproof paper and set aside to cool.
Sieve the lemon and lime juice. Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the lemon and lime juice, finally add the whipping cream. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Mix the egg yolk and ground almonds to a paste and brush over the inside of the cooked pastry shell.
Pop it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Skim the surface of the lemon and lime filling then spoon it into the pastry shell.
Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C, gas mark 1 / 2 and bake for 35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the filling has set. Allow to cool then leave in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Just before serving the tart, make the lime cream: whisk the cream with the lime zest and icing sugar until very firm.
Spoon into a piping bag and use to decorate the tart. Cut into slices to serve.
