Yuzu meringue pie

“This lemon and yuzu meringue pie is all about balance – bright, citrusy sharpness mellowed by a delicate sweetness. Yuzu, the incredibly fragrant Japanese citrus, brings a depth of flavour that goes beyond just tartness, offering floral and almost spicy notes that make this pie stand out from a classic lemon tart. The filling is silky and vibrant, nestled in a crisp pastry case (shell) and topped with a light, billowy aquafaba meringue. If yuzu juice is not available, it can be replaced with more lemon juice to make the classic lemon meringue pie.” – Philip Khoury

Makes 1 x 23cm pie

245g plant-based milk

245g lemon juice

60g yuzu juice

210g caster sugar

75g water

53g cornflour

56g coconut oil (deodorised)

1 x pre-baked 23cm short sweet pastry tart case

Put the milk, lemon juice, yuzu juice and sugar into a high-sided saucepan and bring to a simmer. The acidity of the juices will make the milk curdle, but it will come back together.

Whisk the water and cornflour together in a medium bowl until smooth, then pour it into the pan in one go, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken quickly.

Add the coconut oil and, using a hand-held blender, blend the mixture. Something slightly magical will happen – the colour will lighten and the texture will become silky and smooth. Be careful not to over-blend. Leaving out this last step will result in a set texture that’s far less pleasurable to eat! Pour it into a shallow dish and place a layer of cling film (plastic wrap) on the surface to prevent a skin forming, then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Transfer the chilled curd to a large bowl and whisk it with a balloon whisk until smooth and creamy, then pour it into the pre-baked tart case (shell) and smooth the top.

Candied lemon strips

1 lemon

230g caster sugar

240g water

Finely peel the skin from the lemon and then slice it into 1mm thin strips.

Place in a saucepan with the sugar and water and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Strain before using.

Aquafaba meringue

150g aquafaba (liquid from a tin of chickpeas)

150g caster sugar

3g cream of tartar

Up to 1 hour before you want to serve the pie, make the meringue and decorate the pie (any more than this and it can start to lose its structure). 

Place the aquafaba into the clean bowl of a stand mixer along with the sugar and cream of tartar. Use the whisk attachment to whip the mixture for 4–5 minutes until you have a stable, fluffy meringue with firm peaks.

Transfer the meringue to a piping (pastry) bag fitted with a large, plain nozzle (tip). Pipe peaks over the yuzu and lemon curd to decorate the pie. (Alternatively, you can use a spatula to decorate it in a free-form way.) You may use a kitchen blowtorch to blowtorch the meringue if you fancy, otherwise simply leave it as angelic white.

Decorate with the candied lemon strips.

This is an edited extract from Beyond Baking by Philip Khoury, published by Quadrille. 📷 Matt Russell.