Lemon Meringue Pie

Directions

• Grease a 9 inch / 23cm loose bottomed metal flan tin.
• Roll out your pastry and use to line the tin, leaving the pastry untrimmed and hanging over the rim of the tin. The pastry will shrink during cooking and any excess will be trimmed when the pastry is cooked.
• Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans.
• Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• While the pastry is chilling pre-heat your oven to 400F / 200C / 180C fan / Gas Mark 6 and place a baking tray on the central shelf.
• Place your pastry lined tin in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Take out of the oven and remove the baking parchment and baking beans.
• Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking the pastry.
• Remove from the oven and trim any excess pastry from the edge of the tin with a sharp knife.
• While the pie shell is cooking make your filling.
• Whisk together the two whole eggs and the five egg yolks.
• Add the cornflour and about 6oz / 165gms of the sugar and whisk until smooth.
• Add the zest and juice of the lemons and the water and whisk again.
• Pour into a heavy based saucepan and add the butter, cut into small pieces.
• Cook over a medium heat whisking continually until the mixture reaches boiling point and thickens.
• Now taste your pie filling and add more sugar if necessary. The amount of sugar needed will depend on the sweetness/tartness of the lemons and on your own personal preference. I like the lemon filling to be tart to contrast with the sweetness of the meringue, so rarely need to add more sugar at this point. If you prefer a sweeter filling, add more sugar.
• Now pour the lemon filling into the cooked and neatly trimmed pie shell and leave to cool while you make the meringue.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300F / 150C / 130C fan / Gas Mark 2.
• Whisk the five egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until stiff.
• Gradually add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking all the time.
• When all the sugar has been added continue whisking for a few minutes until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Then take a little meringue and rub it between your finger and thumb. If you can feel the grains of sugar continue whisking for another minute or two and test again until the meringue feels smooth and all the sugar has dissolved.
• Pile the meringue on top of the lemon filling, making it is completely covered, and the meringue covers the pastry rim.
• Swirl the meringue into peaks.
• Return the pie to the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the meringue feels crisp on the outside, and is coloured a very pale gold.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When it is cold remove from the tin and place on a serving plate.