fit the bill

January 19 2010 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 23 comments

If there is one silver lining to living in the midwest at this time of year, it’s the food. The job description is otherwise entirely unappealing and completely unglamorous. To fit the bill, you must: sustain yourself on artificially heated air; layer yourself with fleece, wool and flannel beyond recognition (at all times when out-of-doors and at most times when indoors); ignore the lack of daylight for two-thirds of each day; lather your pasty limbs with moisturizer and your chapped lips with thick films of balm (all of this, of course, to no end); dream incessantly of days when the mercury will rise above the 40-degree tick mark; torture yourself by subscribing to Travel + Leisure (or, worse, skimming the recent vacation photos posted by your Facebook so-called-friends).

Confronted with this list, I struggle to find the upshot of my midwestern winter existence and, repeatedly, return to the homey, comforting dishes that are standard winter fare. For my money, it’s the only perk.

But even this perk is not boundless. Take Saturday, for instance, a day that involved Rick Bayless‘ tortas and a mug of thick, dark hot chocolate for lunch and a plate of braised short ribs and vegetables for dinner. By the time dessert rolled around, buttery and rich simply had to step aside, outdoor temperature and Chicago-in-January dateline notwithstanding.

So, it’s a very good thing that it was this canary yellow tart—a modest smear of lemon curd filling an almond0-flecked, crumbly crust—chilling in the fridge when we washed and dried the last of the dinner dishes. Talk about fitting the bill. I couldn’t have dreamed of a more apt bookend to a day of rib-sticking fare, cutting through the richness with its blade of brightness, lightening up the meal instantly, like whipped egg whites folded into a cake batter.

As if that all weren’t wonderful enough, the recipe also offered intrigue, calling for a fruity olive oil in both the crust and curd. Perhaps it was the mid-winter rut I suddenly find myself in, but the addition of such an unusual ingredient to a pastry crust and citrus curd (albeit one that, apparently, pairs well with lemon in the dessert form) caught my eye. New! Different! Yes, please. And, better yet, the olive oil worked like a charm, especially in the curd. There, it mellowed the bite of citrus, rounding the edges ever so slightly. Yes, the olive oil was as perfect a fit in the recipe as the tart was in our day of rich food.

Lemon Curd Tart with Olive Oil
Gourmet

For tart shell:
2 tablespoons almonds with skins, toasted and cooled
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
3 1/2 tablespoons fruity olive oil (preferably French)

For lemon curd:
3 large lemons
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 whole large eggs plus 2 large yolks

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fruity olive oil (preferably French)

Equipment:
a 9-inch round tart pan with removable side; a small offset spatula

Make tart shell:

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Pulse almonds with flour, sugar, and sea salt to a fine powder in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Add yolk and oil and pulse until just incorporated and a very soft dough has formed.

Spread dough evenly over bottom and up side of pan with offset spatula. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake shell until golden brown all over, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make curd:

Grate enough zest from lemons to measure 1 tablespoon, then squeeze 3/4 cup juice from lemons.

Whisk together lemon zest and juice, sugar, cornstarch, whole eggs, and yolks in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking, 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter and oil until smooth.
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Assemble tart:

Pour lemon curd into cooled shell and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

23 comments so far. »
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Half Assed Kitchen says on January 19 2010 at 10:45 pm:

So Southern California, with the lemons and almonds. I’d like to be there right now. I’d like to be there eating this lemon tart.
Jessica says on January 20 2010 at 4:47 am:

I have been so afraid to make any kind of curd before, but would love to try lime. It looks so delicious.
Chiara says on January 20 2010 at 8:07 am:

That looks so good… I hope that the lemons at the farmers market will look better this week than they did last week after the “great Florida chill”. I could make it for my guests over the weekend!
dawn says on January 20 2010 at 9:23 am:

love this! you have the best photos my dear.
kate says on January 20 2010 at 9:56 am:

Yup. Midwestern winters are exactly like that. Ours includes cuddly cats and plenty of intriguing games to keep the mind sharp through the darkness, and add an edge of laughter to the blahs of January.

And if all else fails, at least I know I could make this tart. Because, well just look at it. Gorgeous.
Dana says on January 20 2010 at 10:05 am:

I’m always looking for a good lemon tart recipe. I think they sometimes have that funky tang. There is a terrific one in the Tartine cookbook, but this one looks pretty darn good!
Dawn (KitchenTravels) says on January 20 2010 at 3:03 pm:

Yay! The lemon tart recipe has arrived! I’m going to give this a go. One can never have too much lemon curd around the house.
my spatula says on January 20 2010 at 6:13 pm:

beautiful! if i had your lemon tart when i lived in chicago, january would have been so much easier to live through. so much happier. i have a bag of lemons simply waiting for this recipe to come along. thank you!
Lisa (AuthenticSuburbanGourmet) says on January 20 2010 at 8:17 pm:

I adore lemon tarts and the idea of olive oil is intriguing. Great photos!
ingrid says on January 20 2010 at 9:36 pm:

Hmm, that olive oil does make this interesting. What if we can’t find a French fruity one? What brand did you use? I’m definitely going to keep this recipe in mind.
~ingrid
Vanessa says on January 20 2010 at 9:49 pm:

I don’t know what’s better. Your pictures or your writing. Makes me feel like I was there, which I wish I was so I could just steal a piece instead of having to make it myself.
Barbara says on January 21 2010 at 11:52 am:

This is so weird! I was staring at a lemon tart recipe in a favorite cookbook (Once Upon a Tart) and debated making it for a posting. The lemons were just so YELLOW, if you know what I mean, and the tart looked so fresh.
As indeed, does yours! And I have never made a lemon tart with olive oil. You must have used a lovely fruity one.
tara says on January 22 2010 at 4:33 pm:

The inclusion of olive oil seems so fitting for a winter tart, its rounded, peppery fruit such a heartening flavour on these cold days.
Monica H says on January 22 2010 at 5:53 pm:

Gorgeous. Now I’m craving lemon.
Devon says on January 22 2010 at 8:47 pm:

Lemon tarts are my absolute favorite. I’m sorry to hear you are stuck in a world of cold, but at least you have the skills to import your own sunshine.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on January 23 2010 at 12:03 pm:

Half Assed Kitchen: Mind if I join you?

Jessica: Don’t be afraid! It’s actually pretty easy (if labor-intensive, with all the stirring). And I’m guessing the most common problem is texture, which you can solve by passing the curd through a fine mesh strainer.

dawn: Thank you!

kate: Oh, yes, the games! I forgot. And good TV, too. Hey, we’ll take whatever we can.

Dana: I need to check out the Tartine cookbook. I’ve seen recipes here and there, but would like to sit down with the whole book.

Dawn: I hope you do!

my spatula: Thanks!

Lisa: Thank you!

ingrid: I’m going to make a note of this above, so thanks for asking. I think it’s just fine to use your standard olive oil. Mine was neither French nor particularly fruity and I quite loved the final product.

Vanessa: Oh, you’re too kind. Thank you.

Barbara: Tis the season, I think, for lemon tarts. So sunshiney and bright in a month when we need as much of those things as possible.

tara: Yes! You put it perfectly.

Monica: Which isn’t such a bad thing!

Devon: That’s certainly a nice way to think about it …
Calvine Dunnan says on January 23 2010 at 7:38 pm:

Hi Kristin! Just wanted to say that I made this tonight – I couldn’t believe how simple it was to pull together, and the flavor, fantastic! Thanks so much for a great post (and blog!)
Julie says on January 25 2010 at 10:17 am:

This tart is phenominal!!! I made it this weekend and I am in love! What a way to perk up a dull, dreary, Winter weekend! I will be making this again!
rena says on January 25 2010 at 11:21 am:

I am always nervous about making recipes like this – the eggs always seem to cook in the curd immediately and form little pieces of scrambled egg ruining the dessert! I tried tempering the eggs by spooning the hot liquid on top of them first, but it still didn’t work! (this was in a pudding recipe, curd might be different as I have never tried it)
Suggestions, please?
Lisa says on January 25 2010 at 9:18 pm:

Looks like a delicious light dessert. I’ve never had Lemon Tart before. I’m not a fan of pies so I am pleased to see that the tart is thin. Will definitely try this recipe.
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on February 01 2010 at 4:55 am:

Calvine & Julie: Thanks for reporting back! I’m so glad you gave this a try and liked it!

rena: You can always just pass the curd through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of cooked egg. Tempering is another good idea.
molly says on February 01 2010 at 10:47 am:

Mmmmm.. lemon curd! I am new to the Midwest and its cold cold COLD ways, but have always (!) been of the belief that January demands dessert, and lemon curd, in particularly. Like nibbling on sunshine. Just lovely.
Monika says on February 09 2010 at 10:26 pm:

looks amazing. that’s going to be my next project