This article originally appeared in the latest May edition of Foodie: Jamie’s Hong Kong. Read it here! 

Prep Time: 2.5 hours Cook Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

    For the pistachio crust:

• ½ cup unsalted, shelled pistachios
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 130g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and frozen
  

  For the filling:

• 1-2 lemons, rinsed and dried
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp sea salt

    For the brûlée top:

• 1-2 tbsp granulated sugar

Method:

1. Prepare a baking sheet, spread pistachios on it and roast for 5 minutes until they are fragrant. Remove and grind into a fine powder. Mix the pistachio powder, flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cream in the butter. Add in the egg and blend until smooth. Remove mixture from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap, chilling for 2 hours.
2. Then roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a 9-inch tart-pan, press into the sides and corners of the pan. Trim dough so there is a ½-inch overhang and then fold the overhang in to make the sides thick. Poke the bottom and sides of the tart dough with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180C°. Butter the shiny side of a piece of foil then press tightly against the crust. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil, using the back of a spoon to press down all the bubbles. Bake for 5 more minutes uncovered. Set aside and let the crust cool to room temperature.
4. While the crust is cooling, slice lemons into thin rounds then remove the end pieces and seeds. Place slices into a food processor together with sugar and butter chunks, and blend until the lemon is fully pureed. Then add the eggs, salt and cornstarch and process until a smooth batter is formed.
5. Pour into the crust until filling is level with the top of the crust (do not overfill). Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the edges are brown and only jiggles slightly when moved. Let cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Fully chill in the refrigerator.
6. Right before serving, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on the top of the tart, then caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch. When the brûléed top is formed. cut and serve immediately.