Best Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Shortcrust pastry:

1. Mix pastry: Place the flour and salt in a food processor, mix and add the cubed and very cold butter. Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cold water, little by little, and stir very briefly until the mixture just comes together, the dough should hold together if you pinch a little between your fingers.
2. Refrigerate: Turn the mixture onto the working surface and knead very shortly to form a ball. Press the ball into a disc, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and line a 23x2,5 cm/ 9x1 inch loose-bottom fluted flan tin. Press the pastry into the flutes, if it cracks just press it back together.
5. Blind bake: Place a piece of baking paper on top and fill the tin with dried beans. Bake the pastry case blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and the paper and continue baking for 5 to 8 minutes or until the pastry case is golden.
6. Lower heat: When the pie crust is baked, lower the heat to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

Filling:

1. While the pastry case is baking, make the filling. Wash and dry the lemons, zest them all, making sure you only grate the yellow parts and none of the white pit (that is very bitter). Juice them to obtain 240 ml/ 1 cup lemon juice. Separate the eggs and keep 4 egg whites for the meringue.
2. Cook filling: Place the cornflour and sugar in a saucepan, gradually whisk in the lemon juice and the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened and smooth, it will take about 7 minutes.
3. Thicken: Once it bubbles remove it from the heat and beat in the cubed butter. When the butter is melted, add the egg yolks, whole egg, whisk it in very well and return the mixture to the heat. Keep stirring well until the mixture thickens, it will take about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Meringue:

1. Whisk egg whites: Place the 4 reserved egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk until you get soft peaks. Add about ½ of the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, then whisk in the cornflour. Add the remaining sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the meringue is thick and smooth.
2. Fill pie: Pour the lemon filling into the pastry case. Put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling, spread it nicely, and add the rest of the meringue to the center of the pie, spreading it so that it touches the hot filling surface. Give it a swirl to make it look nice.
3. Bake for 18-20 minutes until slightly colored and crispy. Let the pie sit in the tin for about 30 minutes, remove it carefully and let it cool and set before slicing. The pie is at its best when served on the same day.