Crostata di Limone (Italian Lemon Custard Tart)

Pastry

• 250 g Plain flour
• 60 g Caster sugar
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt
• 125 g Unsalted butter, cold
• 1 Egg, large

Lemon custard filling

• 3 medium Lemon, unwaxed if possible
• 400 ml Whole milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 3 Egg, large
• 120 g Caster sugar
• 30 g Plain flour
• 30 g Unsalted butter
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Lightly grease a 23 cm tart tin or cake pan with a removable base, then set it on a baking tray.
2. Make the pastry: put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, then rub in the cold butter until it looks like fine crumbs. Beat in the egg just until the dough comes together, then press into a disc.
3. Press the dough evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin, keeping the thickness as even as you can. Chill the lined tin until the pastry feels firm.
4. Bake the pastry case for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden and dry to the touch. If the base puffs, gently press it down while still warm.
5. While the pastry bakes, finely grate the zest from the lemons, then squeeze the juice. In a saucepan, warm the milk with the vanilla and lemon zest over a low heat until steaming, not boiling.
6. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then return everything to the saucepan and cook over a low to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to a custard that coats the back of a spoon.
7. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, then whisk in the butter until glossy. Pour the custard into the warm pastry case and smooth the top.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight wobble. Cool completely at room temperature, then chill until fully set for clean slices.

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