Citrus Meringue Pie

Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F / Gas Mark 5, pre-heated Fan oven: 170°C

Pastry

Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the diced butter and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar, add the egg yolk with the milk and mix together lightly to form a dough ball. Handle the pastry as little as possible or the butter may begin to melt making it difficult to work with.

Pastry case

Dust a work surface and a rolling pin with some flour. Roll out the pastry into a circle approximately 30cm (12 inch) in diameter and 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick.

Line the flan dish with the pastry, do not overstretch, and press well into the flutes. Trim away any excess. Prick the base in several places with a fork, cover with cling film and rest in a cool place or the refrigerator for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Place a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the dish onto the pastry and fill with a few handfuls of baking beans. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, removing the paper and beans after the first 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

Reduce the oven to 150°C / 300°F / Gas Mark 2

Fan: 130°C

Citrus Curd filling

Place the cornflour, orange, lemon and lime zest into a saucepan. Make the juice up to 500ml (18fl oz) with cold water. Add 100ml (3½fl oz) of the juice and water to the pan and blend with the corn flour until smooth. Pour in the remaining liquid and stir over a low to medium heat until thickened and glossy. Remove away from the heat.

Combine the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl, whisk in 4-5 tablespoons of the hot citrus mixture. Now gradually whisk the egg mixture into the contents of the saucepan.

Place the saucepan back onto the heat and stir with a figure of 8 actions until the sauce has thickened. Add the butter and stir until melted. Pour the mixture into the cooked flan case and leave to set whilst you make the meringue.

Meringue

Place the egg whites into a grease free clean bowl and whisk to a firm peak. Add a pinch of cream of tartar and whisk in the sugar 2-3 tablespoons at a time until all the sugar is used and the mixture is stiff and glossy. Spoon or pipe the meringue on top of the filling in the pastry case starting at the outside and finishing in the centre. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden and crisp on the outside.

Allow to cool for around 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Cook’s notes

When making the citrus curd adding a little of the hot liquid to the egg yolks and sugar will help to stabilise the eggs and prevent them from scrambling.