Meringue pie is a classic, especially the familiar lemon variety. But it's also a recipe where there are so many variations possible and this is just one of countless ways to mix it up. Instead of biscuit or pastry I've made the base with sweet crisp cereal and instead of lemon curd I've gone for orange and lemongrass. The only bit that hasn't changed is the top, as I think meringue needs no improvement.
2 large oranges - juice and zest (you will need 200ml of juice)
4 sticks of lemongrass
25 grams cornflour
250 grams caster sugar
6 large egg yolks
For the meringue
4 large egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
255 grams caster sugar
125 millilitres water
Method
Orange and Lemongrass Meringue Pie is a guest recipe by Nadiya Hussain so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe
Line the base of a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with a circle of baking parchment.
Pop the frosted flakes into a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and whizz till you have a mixture that resembles wet, clumpy sand. Tip it out into the tin and, using the back of a spoon, cover the base and sides, making sure to pack it all in really tightly. Pop into the fridge to chill and set.
Now for the curd. Add the orange juice and zest to a non-stick pan. Bash the lemongrass to release all of the flavours, chop into little pieces and add to the pan.
Add the cornflour, sugar and egg yolks and stir everything together. It will be lumpy and not look great at this point, but pop it onto the hob on the lowest heat and mix till you have a smooth curd that coats the back of a spoon.
Take off the heat and push through a sieve, to remove lumps and extract more of that lemongrass flavour. Leave to cool completely. As soon as it is cool, add to the crispy tart base, level off and pop into the fridge.
For the meringue, put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bubble until the syrup reaches 110℃. When that happens, start beating the egg whites in the stand mixer until they reach stiff peaks. Once the syrup reaches 118℃, pour the syrup slowly onto the egg whites with the motor still running at a slow speed.
Once the syrup is mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 3-5 minutes until thick and shiny.
Take the tart shell out of the tin and put on a serving dish. Dollop peaks of meringue onto the curd. The more swirls you have the more beautiful it will look. Grill the top for just long enough to toast or use a blowtorch to colour the meringue.
I dislike these unbaked cookie crumb-type crusts. Be they digestives, bourbons, oreos, frosted flakes or any other do not simply put these in the refrigerator after shaping, but first get them into a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 min to add toasted flavor and get a firmer shape/texture.
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Posted by AJWSF on 11th September 2020
Show more commentsI dislike these unbaked cookie crumb-type crusts. Be they digestives, bourbons, oreos, frosted flakes or any other do not simply put these in the refrigerator after shaping, but first get them into a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 min to add toasted flavor and get a firmer shape/texture.