flour & eggs

Valentine Love Tart - Pomegranate and Lime Meringue Tart

Seeing as old cupid will soon be doing his rounds, I thought I’d better show some festive approval and so created this celebratory mound. Pomegranate is a delicious flavour, and so gorgeously scented, but not quite sharp enough alone to cut through the sweetness of the meringue, hence the introduction of Mr Lime. Playing cupid myself aren’t I…

I know the filling looks sparse in comparison to the meringue, but believe me, it is more than sharp enough. 

ingredients

For the pomegranate and lime curd:

• 1 large pomegranate
• Juice of 3 limes
• Zest of 1 lime
• 100g caster sugar
• 125g butter, melted and cooled
• 1tsp cornflour
• 4 eggs
• 3 egg yolks (save the whites for later)

for the pastry:

• 175g plain flour
• 25g icing sugar
• 100g cold, cubed butter
• 1 egg yolk (save the white for later)
• 1tsp cold water

for the meringue:

• Five egg white including the four saved (three from the curd, one from the pastry)
• 270g caster sugar

Method

1. To make the curd, place the entire entrails of the pomegranate into a food processor and blitz for a minute or so to extract every drip of juice. Sieve into a heatproof bowl and add the other curd ingredients. Whisk well until everything is well incorporated. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and mix until the mixture becomes very thick; it should drip in fat drops from the spoon. Set aside to cool completely. 
2. To Make the pastry, place the flour and butter into a processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Add the yolk and water and blitz again. Remove from the processor and knead. Wrap in cling and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roll the pastry out over the removed bottom of a 23cm fluted tart tin. Once the pastry is rolled into a circle about 1inch thicker than the base of the tin, fold the pastry onto the tin base and place the base back into the tin. Press the sides of the pastry into the sides of the tin, ensuring it is even. Blind bake the pastry with baking beans on top of baking parchment for ten minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 12 minutes. Allow the base to cool completely. 
4. Once the base is cool, add the curd to it and spread evenly. Place into the fridge whilst you make the meringue. 
5. Place the egg whites into the bowl of your freestanding electric mixer with whisk attachment. Place the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water into a saucepan and set over a high heat. When the sugar begins to be disturbed by the heat, turn the whisk on high. When the sugar mixture gets to 116C and the egg whites are stiff, add the sugar in a slow stream into the egg whites. Whisk at high speed until cooled, then spread over the curd filled tart. 
6. Place the meringue tart under the grill for a minute or so to burnish. Serve.