Summer Berry Lemon Tart

This week's recipe is a variation on a Gordon Ramsay recipe. I baked a simple tart crust which, although ugly, is delicious. Then I added a recipe I found for lemon curd, which is an eggy custard without the milk and topped it off with fresh summer berries. In this case, strawberries and blueberries. The lemon curd is reminiscent of a lemon sauce my mother makes but has a thicker consistency.

Ingredients

Tart Crust

1. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2. 1/8 teaspoon salt
3. 1/2 cup unsalted butter
4. 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
5. 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Lemon Curd Filling

1. 3 large eggs
2. 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
3. 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon zest
4. 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
5. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Directions

Tart Crust

1. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Don't over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color.
4. Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Don't overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.
5. Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
6. Roll out dough on parchment paper with rolling pin until 1/8" thick and roughly 1" larger than the sides of your pan.
7. Place your tart pan upside down on the dough and flip parchment paper. Press into the sides of the pan.
8. Chill in refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Place a sheet of parchment paper ontop of chilled dough then add pie wieghts or uncooked rice to weigh dough down while baking. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until crust edges turn golden brown.
10. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.

Lemon Curd Filling

1. In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended.
2. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) This will take approximately 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.
4. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.
5. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.

Pour cooled lemon curd filling into cooled pie crust and cover with your choice of berries. Refrigerate.