Meyer Lemon Tart with Candied Citrus and Crème Fraîche

Recipe by Shawn Olah, Executive Chef at Highlands Falls Country Club, Highlands, North Carolina, USA

Ingredients

Tart Shell (Pâte Sucrée)

• 1 ½ cups Flour
• 6 ½ Tablespoons Sugar (powdered)
• 2 ½ Tablespoons Almonds (ground)
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 1 large Egg
• 7 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

Meyer Lemon Curd

• 6 large Egg Yolks (room temperature)
• 6 large Eggs (room temperature)
• 1 ½ cups Sugar
• 1 cup Meyer Lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
• 2 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Zest (micro-planed)
• 6 Tablespoons Whole Butter (cold and cut into pieces)

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Honey Tuile

• 30 grams Honey (from the Apiary at Highland Falls)
• 30 grams Flour
• 30 grams Egg Whites
• 30 grams Butter (melted)

Meringue

• 5 Egg Whites
• ½ cup Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

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Crème Fraîche

• 16 ounces Heavy Cream (40% butterfat)
• 1 ounce Buttermilk

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Candied Citrus

• 1 Orange Citrus Zest (strips)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Water

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Garnish

• Valrhona Craquantes
• Micro-Mint (The Chef’s Garden)
• Egyptian Star Flowers (The Chef's Garden)
• Strawberry (sliced)
• Honey Tuile (see recipe)

Preparation

Tart Shell (Pâte Sucrée)
Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and ground almonds in a bowl. Add the butter using your fingertips to separate and disperse the dry ingredients evenly. Immediately add the egg and mix with a rubber spatula to form a dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, place it onto a flat surface, and then knead to bring all ingredients together. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and then remove the plastic wrap. Roll out to approximately 1/8 inch thick, wrap the dough around the rolling pin to place in tart tin. Lay dough evenly over the tin, pressing it in evenly with fingertips. Chef Note: Do not stretch the dough during this process; remove any extra dough with a small knife. Place a weighted item of choice in the tart shell with parchment paper.

Bake the shell at 375°F for approximately 15 minutes and remove the weight from the center of the tart. Allow to cool before filling the tart shell.

Meyer Lemon Curd
​Whisk the egg yolks, eggs and sugar in a metal bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice, then begin to cook over a double boiler until the mix reaches a temperature of 170°F. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer. Immediately whisk in the lemon zest and butter cubes, continue mixing until fully emulsified—cool mixture in the desired container for later use.

Honey Tuile
Mix the honey, flour, and egg whites in a food processor. Slowly incorporate the melted butter while the blade is running. Transfer to the desired mold and bake at 300°F for approximately 7-9 minutes. Chef Note: Tuile must be removed from the mold immediately; cooling will cause the tuile to become brittle and break. Reserve for later use.

Meringue
​Begin mixing the egg whites and Cream of Tartar in a stand mixer on medium speed. Mix until soft peaks form, approximately 4-6 minutes. Slowly begin incorporating the sugar while the mixer runs, about a teaspoon at a time, until the sugar is gone and the mix has a shine. Continue to beat on a medium-high for up to 10 minutes, remove from the mixer and fill a pastry piping bag.

Crème Fraîche
​Mix the ingredients, cover with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature for 12 hours. Once the desired thickness is obtained, lightly whip the Crème Fraiche and add to a plastic squeeze bottle or pastry bag.

Candied Citrus
Begin to heat the water in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once it begins to simmer, drop in the citrus zest and return the liquid to a simmer. Add the sugar in 2-3 batches, allowing the sugar to melt between each addition. Once the sugar has dissolved, simmer for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Chef Note: This garnish can either be strained and separated with granulated sugar or cooled in the liquid and plated directly from the reserved syrup, used directly from the syrup in the photo.

Assembly

Fill a tart mold with lemon curd using a pastry bag with a straight tip, filling the shell about 75%. Top the tart with the meringue, using a pastry bag and a straight tip, piping the meringue slowly to obtain drops. Lightly torch the meringue to the desired color, allow it to cool for a few moments before garnishing. 

Using tweezers, lay citrus zest on top of the meringue, followed by the chocolate pearls. Place the strawberry slices, then the tuile garnishes against them for the best visibility. Finish the tart by garnishing with individual Egyptian Star flowers, micro-mint leaves, pulled from the stems, and lightly pushed into the meringue with angled tweezers. Design the plate with Crème Fraiche, using a squeeze bottle or pastry bag.
 
Wine Match
​2014 Schug Late Harvest Reisling

The par-3 15th hole, perched on a rock ledge nearly underneath the 100-foot waterfall is created by the headwaters of the Cullasaja River above. It is this hole that Ron Whitten, Golf Digest Senior Editor of Architecture, described as “the most memorable par three in golf”.