Abstract: A lemon pie was made similar to a lemon meringue pie but with marked differences. Meyer lemons were used as a lemon flavourant while the meringue was removed completely. This resulted in a superior lemon pie product.
Introduction
The flavour of lemon has been enjoyed in dessert applications far back into medieval times. The tart acidity and bright flavour of the lemon makes it ideal for refreshing the palate after heavy meals. While many strains of lemon exist, it is the Eureka strain which is most often found in grocery stores. However, the popularity of the Meyer lemon has been on the rise in recent history due to it being featured by popular cooks, notably among them, Martha Stewart.
The Meyer lemon differs from the Eureka lemon in not only taste but appearance as well. The Meyer lemon is slightly smaller, notably rounder, and has a more rich yellow color tinged with orange. This is because the Meyer lemon is a hybrid of lemon and mandarin. This cross also yields a more deeply colored juice which is sweeter and therefore more pleasant to many palates. Although this variety is grown in the United States, crops were briefly abolished in the 1940's after it was discovered that the strain of Meyer lemons being grown were symptomless carriers of a citrus virus which wrecked havoc among other citrus producers.
While the flavour of the Meyer lemon is delicious in flavoured sodas and drinks, a thickener is necessary to make it suitable in pies. In a gelatinous form, the most commonly used thickeners are egg yolks which create a sabayon, and starches which create a curd. While both thickeners are good carriers of flavour, egg yolks are temperamental to work with and require careful tempering when using hot liquids. In contrast, starches are much less fussy although they do require supervision during the cooking process. The best known household starch thickener is corn starch, which is relatively new to the cooking scene. Until the mid 1800's, corn starch was used exclusively in industry and starching of clothing and linens. This starch unravels and collides together upon the application of heat, to form a gelatinous mesh. The base of cornstarch and water is a blank canvas onto which both savory or sweet flavourants can be applied to form gravy, stews, or pies.
Lemon meringue pie is a commonly known pie throughout North America. Although the lemon filling is generally accepted as "fantastic," the meringue is divisive among consumers, including the authors. Therefore the authors set out to create a meringue-less lemon curd pie to celebrate the lemon flavour while eschewing the egg-y sweet meringue fluff. By combining the subtly sweeter flavour of the Meyer lemon with the thickening power of corn starch, the authors were able to create a pie so delectably scrumptious that the cloying meringue was completely unnecessary.
Materials and Methods
Crust
For the creation of a pie crust, 1 1/2c. flour is mixed with 1/4 tsp salt. Then 2/3c. fat (half shortening, half butter) is cut into the crust using a pastry cutter. To bring the dough together, 1 egg and 1 tbsp of Meyer lemon juice are whisked together and quickly incorporated into the dough until a ball forms. The dough is then incubated at 4°C for a minimum of 1h or longer.
Blind baking
Once rolled and applied to a pie pan, the crust is blast chilled in a freezer for 10min to set. It is then blind baked at 400°F for 10min, then an additional 15min at 375°F. In order to properly blind bake, the crust is first covered in foil, and the center is weighted down with pie weights (beans, rice, or pie weights sold in stores). To avoid the crust forming bubbles, small holes are punched into the bottom of the crust with a fork. The crust is cooked for an additional 10min at 375°F without the foil and weights to dry the crust before it is allowed to fully cool.
Figure 1: Blind baking pie crusts. (A) The apparatus of blind baking is displayed diagrammatically. Crust is laid in the pie platter, with tin foil layered on top. The tin foil is then weighted down with pie weights (dry rice). (B) The proper timeline of blind baking is illustrated. Above are incubation times, while below are corresponding incubation temperatures. BB stand for blind baked, meaning the blind bake apparatus should be applied during the indicated incubation periods. Lemon curd
To form the curd, 1 1/4c. sugar is whisked together with 1 1/2c. H2O, 5 egg yolks, 5 tbsp cornstarch, and 1/16 tsp salt. The slurry is heated over medium heat while constant whisking is applied until it thickens to a custard-like consistency (approximately 10min). The base is then strained to remove any corn starch or egg clumps. To finish, 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, and 1/2c. Meyer lemon juice is stirred in.
Discussion
Crust construction was well done, resulting in a crisp golden yellow crust that was ready for consumption once filled. The curd was added immediately following its completion and allowed to cool for several hours at 4°C. However one slight change was made to the curd before it's completion; an extra 1/2c. Meyer lemon juice was added to enhance the lemon flavour and remove some of the pure sweetness of the sugar.
Once sufficiently cooled, the pie was sampled by the authors. The curd had a markedly tart acidic flavour which the authors found "delightful" and "succulent". The crust had a flaky consistency which contrasted well with the custard-like filling. In addition the ratio of curd to crust was harmonious in achieving textural contrast in the mouth. However there was an aspect that could have been improved upon. The final consistency of the curd was looser than what is normally seen due to the addition of extra lemon juice. In future recreations, the authors would likely employ only 1c. sugar in the curd with the recommended 1/2c. lemon juice. Alternatively, arrowroot could also be used in place of corn starch at a ratio of 1:1. Arrowroot will keep it's gelling capacity at lower pH's whereas cornstarch looses some potency in such situations.
In comparison of the final product with it's companion, the lemon meringue pie, the authors believe there is no contest in the superior product. The omission of meringue allows for the enhanced sampling of lemon without the textural oddity that is whipped egg whites. The Meyer lemon flavour also added a more complex note with hints of orange flavour that a Eureka lemon lacks. In conclusion, the authors found that the subtraction of meringue in a lemon meringue pie is actually an addition of flavour and enjoyment.
Figure 2: Meringue-less Meyer lemon pie. (A) Meyer lemons, bought at a local grocery store. (B) Complete Meyer lemon pie. The curd becomes fully set, held in by a golden flaky crust.
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