Blood Orange Meringue Pie
This pie is the perfect antidote to that confusing time after Christmas. On a rainy, wintry Sunday, the vibrant filling will bring a welcome brightness to the table, while its tropical flavour will dazzle the taste buds after the more traditional fare of the season.
Grown across California, Spain and Italy, blood oranges are winter's promise of warmer climes to come. To me, they represent hope and optimism and, for that, I indulge wholeheartedly in their season. They also feature in my chelsea buns and in my Winter Sun Cake.
Ingredients
For the pastry case:
For the Italian meringue topping:
Method
1. To make the pastry, rub the lard and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Gradually add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix with a round-bladed knife until a dough forms. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Heat the oven: 180°C fan (200°C non fan).
3. Roll the dough out and line the flan tin, pressing the pastry lightly into the fluted sides and corners. Trim the excess. Chill in the fridge for another 15 minutes. Line with greaseproof and fill with baking beans, and bake blind for about 15-20 mins then remove the paper and baking beans. Lower the temperature to 160°C fan/180°C non fan and bake for another 8-10 mins until the crust is lightly browned Leave the oven on in order to set the filling later.
4. While the pastry bakes, make the filling. Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemon. Add enough water to make the juice up to 250ml. Mix the cornflour with 2 tsp of this mixture in a bowl (add slightly more of the liquid if needed), and leave to one side.
This pie is the perfect antidote to that confusing time after Christmas. On a rainy, wintry Sunday, the vibrant filling will bring a welcome brightness to the table, while its tropical flavour will dazzle the taste buds after the more traditional fare of the season.
Grown across California, Spain and Italy, blood oranges are winter's promise of warmer climes to come. To me, they represent hope and optimism and, for that, I indulge wholeheartedly in their season. They also feature in my chelsea buns and in my Winter Sun Cake.
Ingredients
For the pastry case:
- 150g plain flour
- 25g lard, cubed
- 50g butter, cubed
- Cold water (approximately 4 tbsp)
- 4 blood oranges, rind/zest and juice
- 1 lemon
- 80g caster sugar
- 30g cornflour
- 3 egg yolks
- Small knob of butter (approximately the size of a walnut)
For the Italian meringue topping:
- 3 egg whites
- 170g caster sugar
- Fluted 18cm loose bottomed flan tin
- Food thermometer
Method
1. To make the pastry, rub the lard and butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Gradually add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix with a round-bladed knife until a dough forms. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Heat the oven: 180°C fan (200°C non fan).
3. Roll the dough out and line the flan tin, pressing the pastry lightly into the fluted sides and corners. Trim the excess. Chill in the fridge for another 15 minutes. Line with greaseproof and fill with baking beans, and bake blind for about 15-20 mins then remove the paper and baking beans. Lower the temperature to 160°C fan/180°C non fan and bake for another 8-10 mins until the crust is lightly browned Leave the oven on in order to set the filling later.
4. While the pastry bakes, make the filling. Grate the rind and squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemon. Add enough water to make the juice up to 250ml. Mix the cornflour with 2 tsp of this mixture in a bowl (add slightly more of the liquid if needed), and leave to one side.
5. Gently heat the fruit juice-water mixture in a saucepan with the zest for about 2 minutes, then strain through a sieve if you do not want the zest to remain in the sauce. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar and cornflour. Cook over a medium heat stirring all the time until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Then beat in the egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue) and then return this mixture to the heat again. Keep stirring over a medium heat for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into the pastry case. Place the filled flan in the oven (at 160°C fan/180°C non fan) for about 10 minutes to allow the mixture to form a light skin on top as this helps anchor the meringue later. Remove from the oven.
6. To make the meringue topping, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Heat the sugar in a saucepan with 4tbsp of water over a low heat. Do not stir – just swirl it occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat until the sugar has reached 120°C (use a food thermometer).
7. Hold the saucepan in one hand and an electric whisk in your other hand. Immediately pour the sugar over the egg whites in a continuous but slow stream, beating the egg whites as you pour. Avoid pouring the sugar directly over the beaters – I pour the sugar syrup into one side of the bowl, and move the beaters towards but not directly in the path of the sugar stream. Whisk the eggs until glossy (around 3 minutes).
8. Top the tart with the meringue. Use a palette knife to create a pattern of your choice. It’s already cooked so you can enjoy it as it is, or you could use a blow torch to create a slightly crunchy meringue shell.