Tarte au citron (French lemon tart)

Preparation

1. For the pastry, cream the softened butter with the sugar, stir in the salt and egg, then add the flour and almonds and quickly knead to a smooth dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour.
2. Roll out the dough, line a tart tin of about 26 to 28 cm with it, press up a small rim and prick the base several times with a fork. Cover with baking paper, spread the baking beans on top and bake at 180 °C for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the paper and beans and bake the base for another 10 minutes, until dry and biscuit-like. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
4. For the cream, cut the lemon zest into strips and chop finely. Boil about 115 ml lemon juice with the zest for 3 minutes in a pan, take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, sugar, eggs and egg yolks.
5. Heat the mixture over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken (10 to 15 minutes). It then becomes very thick very quickly and must be spread immediately onto the cooled base.
6. Chill the tart in the fridge for a few hours so that the cream sets completely.
7. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff, add the sugar gradually and keep whisking until the mixture is glossy and forms firm peaks. Fill a piping bag and pipe dollops onto the tart.
8. Place the tart briefly in the oven just under the grill until the meringue takes on a little colour, keeping a close eye on it. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Drink with it

• Sweet wine · excellent match

  Riesling Auslese

  The high acidity of the Riesling keeps pace with the lemon cream, and the residual sweetness matches the cream and meringue, so the wine does not seem thin.

  Which wine goes with dessert? Comparing sweetness deliberately ↗

• Fruit liqueur · excellent match

  Limoncello, ice cold from a small glass

  The home partner for limoncello, like the lemon desserts of the Amalfi Coast: lemon meets lemon, the ice-cold liqueur lengthens the fruit of the cream and its sweetness matches the meringue.

• Sweet wine · good match

  Tokaji Aszú or Jurançon moelleux

  Candied citrus and apricot notes meet the lemon, and the firm acidity carries the sweet meringue topping.

• Sparkling wine · good match

  Moscato d'Asti, well chilled

  Light sweetness, low alcohol and fine bubbles suit the meringue and pastry; against the very tart cream it falls slightly short.

  Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference? ↗