Yuzu Pie Recipe

Make crust

Combine flour, powdered sugar, almond flour and salt in a large bowl. Work in cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-size pieces. Add egg yolk and cold water; gently mix until dough comes together (do not overwork). Form into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll chilled dough on lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch tart pan (preferably with removable bottom). Press into pan, trim excess. Prick base lightly. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, bake 8–12 more minutes until golden. Cool on rack. If bottom puffs, press gently while still warm.

Temper and cook curd

In a medium saucepan, whisk together yuzu juice, lemon juice and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks. Slowly whisk about one quarter cup of the warm juice mixture into the eggs to temper. Then pour tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the remaining juices. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom, until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 8–12 minutes, reach ~170°F/77°C). Do not boil.

Finish curd

Remove from heat and whisk in cubed butter, a few pieces at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir in sea salt. Pour curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any coagulated bits. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin and chill until cool but still pourable, at least 1 hour.

Fill shell

When curd is cooled, pour it into the baked tart shell and smooth with an offset spatula. Chill tart in refrigerator while you prepare pâte de fruit and chamomile cream, at least 1 hour to set.

Prepare infusion

Make a strong lemon verbena infusion: bring 0.75 cups water to a simmer, remove from heat, add 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon verbena leaves (or equivalent dried), steep 10 minutes, then strain and measure 0.75 cups. If using concentrated extract, adjust accordingly.

Cook pâte de fruit

In a saucepan, whisk together the measured lemon verbena infusion and 0.5 cup sugar. Sprinkle pectin evenly over the surface and whisk to hydrate. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring. Add invert sugar/corn syrup. Boil hard for 1–2 minutes while stirring to ensure the pectin activates. Remove from heat and stir in dissolved citric acid. Return to a full rolling boil for about 30–45 seconds — the mixture should reach the set stage for pâte de fruit (approximately 225–225.5°F / 107–108°C; check with candy thermometer if available).

Set and cut

Immediately pour the hot mixture into a small, lightly oiled or parchment-lined 6x6 inch pan to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Let cool at room temperature until fully set, several hours or overnight. Turn out onto a cutting board and cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. Toss the cubes in fine sugar to coat. Reserve until assembly.

Infuse cream

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream to just under a simmer. Remove from heat, add dried chamomile flowers, cover and steep for 10–15 minutes to infuse. Strain into a bowl, pressing gently on the flowers, and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes. (Alternatively steep the cream overnight in the refrigerator for a gentler flavor.)

Whip

Once chilled, add sugar and vanilla extract to the infused cream. Whip to soft peaks using a hand mixer or whisk. Keep chilled until assembly. The cream should be light and slightly fragrant; do not overwhip to dryness.

Assemble tart

Remove the yuzu curd tart from the refrigerator. If curd surface is sticky, let sit a few minutes to slightly come to room temperature for easier topping. Spoon or pipe small quenelles or blobs of chamomile cream around the tart surface, leaving central areas for pâte de fruit and citrus slices.

Arrange pâte de fruit and citrus

Neatly arrange the lemon verbena pâte de fruit cubes atop the curd in a pleasing pattern. Add thin slices of seasonal citrus (zest-side visible) between cream dollops and pâte de fruit to create contrast and color.

Finish with herbs and bee pollen

Tuck a few small lemon verbena leaves and microgreens around the tart for freshness. Lightly sprinkle edible bee pollen over the center and citrus slices (use sparingly; a little goes a long way). Chill 15–20 minutes to settle before serving. Bring to cool room temperature for 10 minutes prior to serving for best flavor.