Key Lime Tart

Key Lime Tart

This is a Key lime tart I’ve been making for 30 some years that never fails to please and it couldn’t be easier to make. There is no baking involved so the tart can be completed in less than an hour. The filling is a simple fresh lime curd that is then poured into a crumb crust and refrigerated…and Voila!

Key Lime Tart

The Florida Keys, and Key West in particular, have enjoyed a legendary notoriety associated with the novelist Ernest Hemingway and a bunch of his famous, as well as infamous, cronies that used to hang out until the wee hours of the morning at Sloppy Joe’s and Captain Tony’s in Key West in the 30’s and 40’s. So, by association, the Key lime pie is fondly embraced as an American classic with a smooth creamy custard like filling made with Florida Key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk adds a certain element of decadence to the pie, but I myself much prefer the unadulterated flavor of lime curd filling just as it is.

While the Key lime certainly holds a certain cache, this type of lime is easily found throughout the West Indies, Mexico, and as far afield as Thailand. Obviously certified Key limes are going to be hard to find, so when you go shopping what you want to look out for are smaller thin skinned limes which will have a more acidic intense lime flavor and aroma than the larger Persian limes you are probably more familiar with. Bottled Key lime juice is available, but don’t be tempted. There is no substitute for freshly squeezed lime juice for this recipe.

Key Lime Tart

The following recipe works equally well using lemon juice or try using fresh passion fruit juice. (click here for recipe)

Needed: one 9 or 10 inch tart pan

Tart crust:

• 1 ½ to 2 cups crumbs made from either Graham Crackers or Digestive biscuits
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3  teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons/ 3 oz/ 85 g unsalted butter, melted

Break up the crackers or digestive biscuits into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have a fine crumb. Add the sugar and salt and pulse until combined. Then pour the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse until the crumbs just begin to clump together.

Press the crumb mixture into the tart pan, being sure to distribute the crumbs evenly, so the crust has an overall uniform thickness.

Transfer the crumb lined pan to the refrigerator and chill until the crust has firmed up, about 40 minutes.

Lime Curd Filling:

Zest a couple of the limes before you juice them and set the zest aside.

• 4 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, strained
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces/ 85 g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Choose a non reactive stainless mixing bowl the will fit snugly over a wide pan placed below it.

Partially fill the wide pan with water and place it over medium heat on the stove top. Heat the water without coming to a boil.

meanwhile place the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar into the mixing bowl and whisk together until the sugar is thoroughly combined. Then add the lime juice and whisk until completely incorporated into the egg mixture.

Place the bowl over the hot water (being sure the water is not boiling below)  creating a Ban Marie. Whisk the mixture in a continuous circular motion without creating a froth. After a few minutes the mixture will begin thicken rather quickly, so once the mixture has the consistency of a soft custard like curd, promptly remove the bowl from the heat. Scatter the small cubes of butter over the surface and once melted gently fold the butter into the curd until completely incorporated.

Remove the chilled crumb crust from the refrigerator and pour the lime curd filling into the crust shell. Giggle the pan gently to even out the filling and, if necessary, gently smooth the surface with a spatula.

Distribute the lime zest over the surface and return the pie to the refrigerator until the filling has firmed up. You can then cover the pie with cling film and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

As pictured serve the tart with a strained strawberry or raspberry puree along with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche.