Adapted from a Stephanie Alexander recipe
Pastry
180g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and left at room temperature for 20 minutes
240g plain flour
pinch salt
60mL water
Filling
2 limes
2 lemons
6-7 eggs (6 large or 7 medium)
250g castor sugar
200mL cream (half and half is fine – just 10% fat)
a little orange juice (~50mL)
24cm loose-bottomed deep flan tin, or pie dish
Add flour and salt to a large bowl, then mix in the butter with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water, then use a spatula to stir it through. The dough should come together easily into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20-30 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out into a circle about 5cm wider than the flan tin or pie dish. Carefully lay the pastry over the dish, pushing it gently into the corners. Trim excess pastry leaving about 1cm extra. Roll the pastry edge over so that it doesn’t overlap the edge of the dish. Refrigerate 30 minutes, and preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
Meanwhile, zest and juice the lemons and limes. Measure the juice and add a little orange juice if required to give about 180mL. Add the zest to the juice and set aside.
Gently prick the surface of the chilled pastry shell with a fork, cover with aluminium foil, then place pastry weights, dried beans, or rice on top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil, then return to oven for a further 5 minutes.
During the final 5 minutes, beat together eggs and sugar with a spoon until well mixed. Add the juice and zest, mix, then stir in the cream.
Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and press the surface down if it has risen a little. Turn the oven down to 160C/320F. Pour the filling into the shell. Be careful not to over-fill, any excess filling can be poured into ramekins and baked separately. Bake 35-45 minutes until the filling is set (ramekins will be ready in 25-35 minutes). Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serves 8-12
