Lemon tart

In Olive magazine issue: October 2008, there is a new section name “Challenge Gordon”. It’s quite interesting because “How can anyone win this challenge?” You know Gordon Ramsay is an icon; he is the great chef (and a chef from hell, haha). Actually I think the people who sent the recipe to challenge him are brave, and they are great too, because they think they can win. The rule for the challenge is someone will make these two recipes at home and invite the tasters. The tasters will eat the dish without knowing whose recipe is and they have to write the reason why they like it or not.

This time Gordon Ramsay is the winner, from the caramelized top and the idea of having a thin layer of the chocolate in the tart. But the point is not far from the challenger he got 12 points and Hannah Summers (the challenger) got 11 points (it’s very close ^ ^).

After I read the recipe from this issue, I decided to make the tart from Gordon Ramsay, not that I’m so sure about his recipe (and the truth is I don’t own any of his cookbooks), but it’s very easy to make. I like the idea of the caramelized top too, it remind me of the crème blûlée, and the filling looked alike the lemon crème blûlée. This lemon tart is great even it’s not the one with the pure taste of lemon (chocolate makes the taste different), but I love it anyway.

Note: I got a little problem when preparing the tart; I couldn’t put all the filling into the tart. There were about 80 ml left, so I made a small tart with this filling. My tart pan is 2 cm high, so be prepared for that too.

Adaptation from: Olive magazine issue: October 2008, “Challenge Gordon”.

Gordon Ramsay’s lemon tart

Serves 8

FILLING
50 g	dark chocolate, melted
2	Whole eggs
4	Egg yolks
160 g	caster sugar
200 ml	double cream
	Juice of 2 lemons (about 120ml)
	Icing sugar to dust
SWEET PASTRY
125 g	unsalted butter
90 g	caster sugar
1	egg
250 g	plain flour

To make the pastry put the butter and sugar in a food processor and whizz until just combined. Add the egg and whizz for 30 seconds. Add the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together (add 1 tbsp cold water if the dough seems too dry).

Knead lightly on a surface dusted with flour then shape into a flat disc and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Roll the pastry out and use it to line a 20cm loose-based tart in or tart ring. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the edge. Rest for 20 minutes in the fridge. Line the pastry with foil or baking parchment and baking beans.

Bake blind for 15 minutes, until the sides just begin to colour. Remove the beans and foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the base is cooked and lightly golden.

Brush the base with the melted chocolate and cool. Lower oven to110°C/fan 90°C/gas ½ .

Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together in a bowl and stir in the cream. Finally, add the lemon juice - this will thicken the cream.

Strain the filling through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour half of the filling into the pastry case and put the pastry case onto the bottom oven shelf, pull the shelf half out and, keeping the tin level, pour in the remaining filling. Carefully push the shelf back and bake for 50-60 minutes until the filling is almost set It should have a slight wobble in the centre.

Trim the pastry level with the top of the tin and leave it to cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar and run a cook’s blowtorch over the surface to give a blûlée effect.

Winning recipe: Gordon Ramsay’s lemon tart