Lemon Tart
There are different ways to make a lemon tart. At Bouchon, the French Laundry, and Per Se, we use a sabayon method, in which the eggs are first cooked with the lemon juice and sugar over hot water, then the butter is gradually incorporated an easy method that results in a consistently good lemon custard or curd. The crust is made with sweet and nutty pine nuts, which I think are the perfect balance for the rich, tart custard.
There are different ways to make a lemon tart. At Bouchon, the French Laundry, and Per Se, we use a sabayon method, in which the eggs are first cooked with the lemon juice and sugar over hot water, then the butter is gradually incorporated an easy method that results in a consistently good lemon custard or curd. The crust is made with sweet and nutty pine nuts, which I think are the perfect balance for the rich, tart custard.
- Carbohydrate 25.66214 g
- Cholesterol 128.2175 mg
- Fat 11.008665 g
- Fiber 0.0915000013634562 g
- Protein 2.424 g
- Saturated Fat 6.2639845 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (74g)
- Sodium 20.94025 mg
- Sugar 25.5706399986365 g
- Trans Fat 0.8575795 g
- Calories 204 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
- Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough.
- Bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. (There may be some cracks in the crust; they will not affect the finished tart.)
- Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.
- Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
- Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.
A properly executed lemon tart presents a satin-smooth custard with distinct acidity, resting securely within a toasted, nutty crust that shatters cleanly under the fork. Achieving this texture relies entirely on thermal control during the curd-making phase. When eggs, sugar, and juice are whipped over simmering water, the heat must denature the egg proteins gradually to build a stable emulsion without curdling them into scrambled pieces.
Mastering the Sabayon Emulsion
Using a double boiler setup with roughly 1.5 inches of boiling water maintains gentle, indirect heat beneath the metal mixing bowl. Continuous whisking incorporates air while moving the bowl prevents localized overheating where the metal contacts the steam. Adding the cold lemon juice in three separate increments drops the temperature incrementally, allowing the starch-free structure to thicken through protein coagulation alone. Whisking in cold butter one piece at a time at the very end introduces dairy fats that solidify upon cooling, sealing the glossy sheen of the filling. Watch for the whisk to leave a distinct visual trail across the bottom of the bowl before removing the heat.
- If the sabayon curdles, remove it from the heat immediately and whisk vigorously with a splash of cold water to force the emulsion back together.
- Cracks appearing in the crust during baking are structurally normal and will not leak the dense filling.
- Allow the assembled tart to rest for at least one full hour at room temperature before slicing to let the butter fully set the interior.
