Oops I Dropped the Lemon Tart, Slight Return

For October’s 10th Street Supper Club, I will be making a dish in homage to Chef Massimo Bottura’s “Oops I Dropped The Lemon Tart.” Chef Bottura is one of the most innovative chefs out there, and his dishes are an inspiration.

This dish is a deconstructed, i.e., broken, lemon custard pie, served with a dollop of ice cream. There are a bunch of parts, working together, but ultimately, it looks great on the plate.

Limoncello Zabaglione (custard pie filling):

  • 5 Egg Yolks
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Limoncello
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (strained)

To make this tabaglione, you are basically making hollanaise sauce, but using sugar and some limoncello. Start with a double-boiler (a sauce pan, on top of which you can set another pan, or better yet, a round bottom bowl), filled with about an inch of water. Heat the water to a simmer (don’t boil it).

While the water is heating, mix the egg yolks and sugar together in the bowl or pan which will sit atop your double-boiler. Beat the eggs with a wisk until the egg starts taking on a lighter color. Place the egg mixture atop the double-boiler and continue beating constantly.

Slowly, add, while beating, the lemon juice, and then the limoncello. Continue beating until the zabaglione begins to thicken. Then continue for another minute or so. Remove from heat, and allow to return to room temperature, while covered. Stir occasionally. The zabaglione should thicken a bit more as it cools.

  • 5 Egg Whites
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

Using either or hand mixer or a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on high speed until the mixture will form stiff peaks when a fork is inserted and removed.

Put this mixture in a pastry bag, and pipe onto a cookie sheet covered with either a silpat or parchment.

Cook at 275° for about 30 minutes. Outer shell will be leathery while hot, but will harden as it cools.

Lemongrass Ice Cream (garnishment):

  • 2 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 2 Cups Whole Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 5 Egg Yolks
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 1 1/2 Cup Lemongrass (chopped at 1/4 inch)
  • Zest of 2 Lemons

Mix the milk, cream, sugar, honey, together in a sauce pan. Heat over a medium-low flame while stirring until sugar and honey are dissolved. Add lemongrass and lemon zest. Heat to about 180-190°F (do not boil), and remove from heat. Allow to stand for a few minutes, and then strain the lemongrass and zest from the cream.

While heating, beat the egg yolks to a creamy froth in a large bowl (should take about 4-5 minutes).

Slowly (really slowly), while beating quickly the eggs, add half of the cream. This is called tempering your eggs - you want to add the heated cream slowly enough that the eggs are not allowed to cook separate from the custard mixture. Once about half of your hot cream mixture is added, you can stir in the second half fairly quickly. Continue stiring with your wisk for another 0 seconds or so.

Cool this mixture, allow to sit over night in a refrigerator, and then finish in your ice cream maker.

Assembly:

Onto a plate, place the meringue cookie upside-down. Cover (sloppily) with cool zabaglione, making sure to glop some extra on the plate. Cover zagablione with a bit of pie crust, or a bit of puff pastry (what Roger and I did for 10th Street Supper Club). Add a scoop of the ice cream.

Enjoy.