Quiche Au Citron Recipe

Make the dough

In a medium bowl, combine 1.25 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbs icing sugar and 0.25 tsp salt. Add 6 tbs cold unsalted butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining (about 6–8 quick pulses if using a food processor).

Add 1 egg yolk and 2 tbs cold water. Gently mix with a fork until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork; there should still be small pieces of butter visible. If dough is dry, add up to 1 additional tsp cold water.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press together into a disc. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours). Chilling relaxes gluten and firms the butter so the crust stays flaky.

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm (1/8 in) thickness and large enough to fit a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Gently transfer the dough to the tart pan, press into the corners, and trim the overhang, leaving a clean edge. Prick the base lightly with a fork.

Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 12 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake 6–8 minutes more until the base is just set and beginning to colour. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 170°C (340°F). Let the crust cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk until smooth and slightly frothy.

Whisk in 1 cup heavy cream and 0.25 cup milk until completely combined and smooth.

Add 0.5 tbs granulated sugar, 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 0.25 tsp fine sea salt and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is homogeneous. Taste a small amount and adjust lemon or sugar to preference — the custard should be lemony but balanced, not overly sweet.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or measuring cup to remove any bits of zest or cooked egg for an exceptionally smooth quiche filling.

Place the pre-baked tart shell on a baking sheet and slowly pour the strained custard into the shell, leaving about 2–3 mm gap from the top to avoid spillage.

Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 28–35 minutes, or until the filling is mostly set but still slightly wobbly in the center. The edges should be lightly puffed and just set. Oven times vary; start checking at 25 minutes.

Remove quiche from oven and allow it to cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes — the filling will finish setting as it cools. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour if you prefer it cold before serving.

If you like a lightly caramelized top, sprinkle 1 tsp granulated sugar evenly across the cooled quiche surface. Using a kitchen blowtorch, carefully melt and caramelize the sugar until golden. Alternatively, place under a very hot broiler for 1–2 minutes while watching constantly to avoid burning.

Garnish with 2 thin lemon slices or candied lemon peel and dust lightly with 0.5 tsp powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Serve slices at room temperature or chilled. Keeps well refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.