Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
5 large egg yolks
1⅓ cups (320ml) water
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (180ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 5-6 lemons)
1 Tbsp lemon zest
4 Tbsp (28g) cornstarch
Pinch salt
4 Tbsp (65g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Meringue
5 large egg whites
1 cup (200g) white sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
Line a 23cm pie dish with the shortcrust pastry. Crimp the edges and trim away any excess pastry. Chill for 10 minutes.
Put a sheet of baking paper over the pastry and fill it with dry chickpeas, rice or pastry weights. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully remove the paper and pie weights. Return the empty pie shell back to the oven to continue to bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the pastry is fully cooked through. Set aside until ready to use.
Reduce oven temperature to 177°C.
Make the Lemon Filling: whisk the egg yolks together in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Whisk the water, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat. Once thickened and bubbling, reduce heat to low.
In a slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. Turn the heat back up to medium. Cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting on top. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the butter. Spread the filling into the warm baked crust. Set aside as you prepare the meringue.
Make the Meringue: With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium speed for 1 minute, then increase to high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Add the sugar and salt, then continue beating on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Spread meringue on top of the filling. Make sure you spread the meringue all the way to the edges so that it touches the crust. This helps prevent the meringue from weeping.
Bake pie on the lowest oven rack for 20-25 minutes. (If the meringue is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over it as best you can without the foil touching the meringue.) When the pie is done, remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in the refrigerator to chill. Chill for 4 hours before slicing and serving.
