Tarte au Citron
The lemon tart became popular in 20th-century France as a lighter, more delicate alternative to traditional fruit tarts, quickly earning classic bistro dessert status alongside crème brûlée and profiteroles. Although it uses a simple ingredient — lemon — the exact slow-cooking technique for the curd remains a test of a pastry chef's skill. In southern France, where citrus grows locally, the lemon tart is considered a warm-season dessert, though in Paris it appears on menus year-round, as a refreshing alternative to heavier chocolate desserts.
Delicate lemon curd, not just filling
The curd is made with fresh lemon juice and zest, whole eggs, and butter, cooked gently over low heat until it sets.
A tender pâte sucrée crust
The base uses a sweet, tender dough, blind-baked before filling, for a crisp crust that never turns soggy.
The balance of tart and sweet
The tart's success lies in the exact balance between the lemon's tartness and the curd's moderate sweetness, never too sweet.
Sometimes finished with torched meringue
A popular variant adds a layer of Italian meringue on top, lightly torched, for texture and contrast.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 200g flour
- 100g cold butter, cubed
- 80g icing sugar
- 1 egg (for the dough)
- 4 large lemons, juice and zest
- 150g sugar
- 4 whole eggs (for the curd)
- 120g butter, at room temperature
- A pinch of salt
How to make it
- 1Mix the flour, icing sugar, and a pinch of salt, then work in the cold butter until the mixture resembles sand.
- 2Add the egg and knead briefly, just enough to bring the dough together, then chill for 30 minutes.
- 3Roll out the dough into a tart tin and blind-bake, with weights on top, in a hot oven, until light golden.
- 4Mix the lemon juice and zest with the sugar and whole eggs in a saucepan, over low heat, stirring constantly.
- 5Cook the curd over very low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, without boiling.
- 6Remove from the heat and gradually work in the soft butter, piece by piece, whisking vigorously until the curd becomes smooth and glossy.
- 7Pour the curd into the baked shell and chill for at least two hours before serving.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
