Here’s a classic citrus dessert topped with amazing toasted meringue. Really tasty and simple!

Serves: 6 Preparation time: 20′ Waiting time: 60′ Cooks in: 40′ Ready in: 60′

Ingredients

For the pastry
120g plain flour plus a little extra for dusting
fine salt a pinch
cold butter 100g, diced into 1cm cubes
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ice-cold water

For the filling
2 tbsp sugar
3 egg yolks
2 large limes, zested and juiced
250ml milk
25g bread crumbs

For the meringue
3 egg whites
120g caster sugar

Method
Step 1
For the pastry: Sift flour and mix with salt in a bowl. Add butter and mix with your fingers until you have a mixture like coarse crumbs. Add sugar and ice-cold water mixing until pastry starts to just clump together. Tip onto a sheet of clingfilm and wrap into a ball. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 2
Lightly dust your worktop with a little flour. Roll out the pastry to a large circle to fit a deep, loosebottomed flan tin 25cm wide. Lift and pat into the corners, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the edges. Transfer the tin into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Step 3
For the filling: Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for 1 hour.

Step 4
Heat the oven to 200C/fan. Once the pastry’s chilled, roll on across the surface with a rolling pin to cut off the extra pastry. Squeeze the pastry gently, spread the filling evenly -fluff it up with a fork first- and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

Step 5
For the meringue: Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks, then add sugar, a third at a time, whisking really well. Spoon meringue into a large piping bag
fitted with a large plain nozzle and pipe it around in circles, sealing
the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the meringue is light golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and serve warm or completely cold.

Photo: George Drakopoulos – Food styling: Tina Webb