Gordon Ramsay's lemon tart
By Gordon Ramsay
Cooking time
Ready in 1 hour 30 minutes plus chillingSkill level
Moderately easyServings
Serves 8The superchef's version of a classic pudding recipe is bound to be a winner
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 585
- protein
- 8.3g
- carbs
- 64.9g
- fat
- 34.3g
- saturates
- 18.3g
- fibre
- 1.1g
- sugar
- -
- salt
- 0.12g
Ingredients
- 50g dark chocolate, melted
- 6 eggs (2 whole, 4 yolks only)
- 180g caster sugar
- 200ml double cream
- 2 lemons, juiced
- icing sugar to dust
Sweet pastry
- 125g unsalted butter
- 90g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 250g plain flour
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Method
- To make the pastry put the butter and sugar in a food processor and whizz until just combined. Add the egg and whizz for 30 seconds. Add the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together, (add 1 tbsp cold water if the dough seems too dry). Knead lightly on a surface dusted with flour then shape into a flat disc and chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll the pastry out and use it to line a 20cm loose-based tart in or tart ring. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the edge. Rest for 20 minutes in the fridge. Line the pastry with foil or baking parchment and baking beans. bake blind for 15 minutes, until the sides just begin to colour. Remove the beans and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the base is cooked and lightly golden.
- Brush the base with the melted chocolate and cool. Lower oven to 110C/fan 90/gas 1/2.
- Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together in a bowl and stir in the cream. Finally, add the lemon juice – this will thicken the cream.
- Strain the filling through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour half of the filling into the pastry case and put the pastry case onto the bottom oven shelf, pull the shelf half out and, keeping the tin level, pour in the remaining filling. Carefully push the shelf back and bake for 50-60 minutes until the filling is almost set. It should have a slight wobble in the centre. Trim the pastry level with the top of the tin and leave it to cool completely.
- Dust with icing sugar and run a cook’s blowtorch over the surface to give a brûlée effect.
Recipe from olive magazine, October 2008
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
This tart is absolutely delicious. Perfect ending of a Friday dinner. For me it is an ideal composition of the buttery pastry, sweetness of the chocolate and sourness of the lemon. And it looks stunning too! I will definitely try it again.
Suggestion: I used two big and juicy lemons. Maybe that is the reason I do not find this tart too sweet.
used this for mini-tartlets as part of a mini-cake display for a family gathering, using mini-muffin tins (use a petit-four case to line the pastry before pre-baking). Didn't bother with the chocolate, but added a little grated lemon rind to the filling. The pastry was perfect for rolling out thinly for the small tartlets. There was spare filling (used half the recipe and made a dozen) which i cooked in two ramekins in a bain marie for another day. Looked and tasted fantastic.
I made this as a trial run for a come dine with me style dinner party. I used the exact recipe but I found the whole thing far too sweet. Each element was lovelly but I would definatly omit the chocolate layer. The pastry was lovelly however I felt plain pastry would be less sweet and allow the lemon to shine. Glad I tried it though easy to follow and make.
I totally agree with "dessertspoon" about the pastry base. The pastry lets it down, so I did a bit of research and tried Delia's version the second time round (without the egg and replaced some of the butter with lard - I know, sounds strange but it's worth a shot) and the result was perfect. It tasted better than any lemon tart I have ever had in a restaurant. That chocolate layer really makes it. Everybody who tried loved it. Absolute perfection!
I totally agree with "dessertspoon" about the pastry base. The pastry lets it down, so I did a bit of research and tried Delia's version the second time round (without the egg and replaced some of the butter with lard - I know, sounds strange but it's worth a shot) and the result was perfect. It tasted better than any lemon tart I have ever had in a restaurant. That chocolate layer really makes it. Everybody who tried loved it. Absolute perfection!
I totally agree with "dessertspoon" about the pastry base. The pastry lets it down, so I did a bit of research and tried Delia's version the second time round (without the egg and replaced some of the butter with lard - I know, sounds strange but it's worth a shot) and the result was perfect. It tasted better than any lemon tart I have ever had in a restaurant. That cholocate layer really makes it. Everybody who tried loved it. Absolute perfection!
This recipe was okay. Maybe I missed something, but as I am a bit of a pastry novice, I found that the pastry layer was a little greasy; on top of that, I was unsure as to how thick the pastry base ought to have been, so it ended up slightly thicker than I would've liked. It was nice enough but I think I will look for a different recipe for a pastry base! Apart from that, I thought the custard was nice, and I made some strawberry coulis (with a dash of lime) to go with the tart which got some good comments.