A true test of a great baker and/or pastry chef is not in developing outrageously complicated desserts. Instead, it is in perfecting the simplest of preparations. We’ve all had lemon tarts, but a well-prepared tart demonstrates true craftsmanship. If you take the time and put in the proper love, you will find that a GBD (golden brown and delicious) crisp tart shell combined with a very well-prepared lemon custard is nothing
short of perfection.
Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and Mandarin oranges, and they harness the beautiful qualities of both—tart yet still sweet and fragrant. In this recipe, the flower essences of the rose-flavored chantilly cool off the tart sensation on your palate as the burst of tangy sweetness from the macerated berries brings a depth of red fruit to the dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cup (340 g) cherries
- 2 cups (500 g) strawberries
- 2 cups (340 g) raspberries
- 1 recipe Raspberry & Red Verjus Sauce
- Ten 3-in (7.5-cm) baked Sweet Almond Tart Shells
- ½ recipe Meyer Lemon Curd
- 1 lime grated zest
- 1 lemon grated zest
- 1 orange grated zest
- 10 pieces Candied Buddha’s Hand
- 30.33 cups (790 ml) Rose Water Chantilly
- Pit and halve the cherries, hull and halve the strawberries, and leave the raspberries whole. Place into a large bowl and toss gently; pour the verjus sauce over the fruit and use a rubber spatula to fold so that the fruit is covered in sauce. Allow to macerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Set out your baked tart shells and use a rubber spatula to stir and break up the lemon curd. Fit a pastry bag with a #3 plain piping tip, use a binder clip to secure the bag closed at the opening to the tip, and then fill the bag with the lemon curd. Remove the binder clip and pipe the lemon curd into the tart shells to just fill them. Spoon a small amount of the fruit mixture onto the center of each filled tart and sprinkle with some of the zest of each citrus.
- Pile the Candied Buddha’s Hand pieces on a small plate on the side, along with a bowl of the chantilly, and pass them at the table when serving, so that your guests can top the individual tarts to their taste.
