Among the most popular desserts in France, there are 2 tarts: the apple tart (with its tatin variation) and the lemon tart, which is usually decorated with a meringue to soften the acidity of the yellow fruit. The citrus is not, however, directly integrated into the recipe, whose origins, both technical and geographical, are varied and which, even today, inspires pastry chefs.
If its name spontaneously assimilates it to the popular fruit tarts, the lemon pie is, at the beginning, only a cream originating from the United Kingdom. The first traces of it appear in the 18th century and its recipe, probably created by the Quakers, has evolved little since: eggs, butter, flour and powdered sugar mixed with a little zest of the citrus fruit.
By migrating to the United States, the religious community brought this dessert to the Americans who transformed it into a cake with the addition of a shortbread dough. Another variable is that they prefer lime, which, with its high vitamin C content, prevented scurvy among sailors.
Still in the 18th century, more precisely around 1720 but this time in Switzerland, a meringue version appeared under the impulse... of an Italian chef!
But it is to an American, Elizabeth Goodwell, that we owe the current recipe consolidating the various contributions of these predecessors, in particular this meringue (whose name would come from the Swiss city of Meiringen) allowing, with its sweetness, to attenuate the acidity of the lemon.
The sight of this gourmet, and very aesthetic, dessert has titillated your taste buds? You can sign up for a workshop to master its preparation.
If you are curious to taste the variations of this historic recipe made by great pastry chefs, you can go to Le Nôtre, Dalloyau and Stohrer (the oldest bakery in the french capital) or, to stay on prestigious gourmet addresses, enjoy it while taking a break at Angelina.
More recently, other chefs have distinguished themselves in the creation of this dessert, which is now on the menu of every good French restaurant, such as, in the 2nd arrondissement, the very trendy Big mamma, which offers a particularly meringue version, or, in the 2nd and 11th arrondissements, The French Bastards, whose classic, but very gourmet recipe was ranked in the top 10 by the culinary magazine “Elle à table”.
Have a good tasting.
Valérie from Comme des Français
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