The classic lemon meringue pie recipe gets updated by Matthew Tomkinson to give it extra wow factor. Lemon cream provides a sumptuous alternative to lemon curd for this pie recipe. Prepare the ice cream and lemon cream ahead of time.
To begin this lemon meringue pie recipe, start by making the stock syrup. You will need approximately 240ml of syrup for this recipe. Place the water and sugar in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved, then set aside to cool
125g of caster sugar
125g of water
2
To make the basil sorbet, purée the basil in a food processor and set aside. Boil the glucose syrup, water and 50ml of the sugar syrup together in a pan. When cool, add the basil and lemon. Churn in an ice cream machine and freeze until ready to use
To make the biscuit base, preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas mark 4. Cream the butter and the sugar together and add the flour, mixing well until a dough has formed
225g of butter
112g of caster sugar
340g of plain flour
4
Roll the dough into a log the same diameter as the rings you will be setting the lemon cream in. Slice 4 discs from the log and place on a baking tray. Cook for 8 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool
5
To make the lemon cream, first line your moulds with cling film. Boil the lemon juice, cream and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the gelatine and pass through a fine sieve. Pour the mix into your moulds and set in the fridge
For the meringue, bring the water, glucose and sugar up to 120°C in pan. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites and whisk until cool. Place in a piping bag with a star nozzle
To make the poached oranges, cut the oranges into segments, making sure to remove all the pith and membrane. Boil 185ml of the sugar syrup in a pan, add the oranges and stir, then take off the heat
To serve, place a biscuit disc into the middle of a serving plate, top with a turned out lemon cream and then pipe ‘spikes’ of meringue on top
9
Glaze the meringue with a blow torch and surround with segments of the poached orange. Finish the lemon meringue pie with a small scoop of the basil sorbet and serve
Matthew Tomkinson’s elegant and highly accomplished food earned him a Roux Scholarship in 2005, as well as Michelin stars at The Goose and The Montagu Arms. He now cooks classically influenced comforting dishes at Betony at The Kings Head in Wiltshire.
