Bouchon Lemon Tart

This lemon tart was made for a good friend leaving Seattle for a few years - will miss you Jean!  If you knew her, you'd know she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet.  Really is a little sour to see her go, but when life gives you lemons... make a lemon tart.  Come back soon!

I highly recommend this recipe which I made with pine nuts below, but have also substituted almonds before with good result.

See also - one year ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Lemon Tart - Tarte au Citron
Adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon

For the crust: (halved recipe)
1 cup pine nuts (or substitute almonds)
1/6 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
8 oz unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Lemon Sabayon:
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tbsps cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate or freeze while the oven preheats.

Place the pine nuts, sugar, flour in a food processor and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Add butter, egg, and vanilla and pulse a few more times to mix evenly but do not overmix.  Divide the dough into 2 parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using. 

Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 12 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool while you make the lemon filling.

For the sabayon:
Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a sauce pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using.  I used a stainless steel mixing bowl.  Whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar until the mixture is smooth.  Set the bowl over the pot and, whisk the mixture while you turn the bowl.  After 2 minutes, when eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Either refrigerate at this point until serving or brown top of tart (optional instructions below).  Top with fresh fruit such as raspberries or blueberries.

Optional browning of tart.  Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.