Lemon tart, its history and our best addresses

Anne Debbasch | 7/3/24

A popular dessert the world over, lemon tarts are a gourmet's delight. Well-codified, it combines shortcrust pastry, lemon cream and sometimes meringue. Today's pastry chefs have come up with interpretations with character, revealing all the facets of the citrus fruit.

Born in England in the XVIIIᵉ century, the United States preferred it with lime - the key lime pie - while the Swiss added meringue to it in the XIXᵉ. Surprisingly, lemon pie only arrived late in France. Unlike classic fruit tarts, it doesn't consist of fruit wedges, but a cream with egg, butter and sugar, flavored with lemon. Today, patissiers are imagining more flavorsome versions, drawing from the citrus family or seasoning it with an unexpected ingredient. Gault&Millau went to meet five of the most gourmet interpretations.

Citron jaune en Absolu, Claire Damon, Des gâteaux et du pain, Paris

Sleek and elegant, Claire Damon's lemon tart celebrates citrus in all its splendor. "I use organic lemons from Corsica or Italy. To preserve all the lemon's flavors, they are processed ultra-fresh and squeezed extemporaneously to create the creaminess. The olive oil meringue adds roundness, while the crumbly shortbread dough provides textural contrast and an unfailing gourmet delight! Vive la nature.

Where? 63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris and 89 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris
www.desgateauxetdupain.com

ClaireDamon - PhilippeVaures

Lemon tart, Frédéric Cassel & Steven Gerault, Fontainebleau

With its sweet pastry, soft lemon and almond cookie, fresh lime and lemon marmalade and lemon cream, this no-fuss, no-frills tart is an ode to lemon. It perfectly balances all the facets of the lemon: acidity, bitterness and fragrance. Frédéric Cassel adds a personal touch with pine nuts. Their subtle fragrance and crunchiness underline the citrus flavors. Visually, they add an extra touch of elegance.A bold statement!

Read Gault&Millau's review of Frédéric Cassel
Where? 71-73 rue Grande, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
www.fréderic-cassel.com

Steven Gerault

Zestes barrières, Bricoleurs de douceurs, Marseille

Aurélie and Clément have imagined a variation on the lemon tart in which the citrus flavors are exacerbated. On the lemon side, they chose to combine the creamy lemon with kalamansi, a small, distinctive citrus fruit probably derived from a cross between mandarin and kumquat trees. For roundness and indulgence, the sweet pastry is filled with an almond cream. A lemon ganache, kalamansi confit and candied kalamansi are added for a sunny variation on the lemon tart. To be discovered without delay.

Where? 256 Rue d'Endoume, 13007 Marseille
www.bricoleursdedouceurs.fr

JPGaradebian - ilyafoodstories

Yuzunoka, L'A Pâtisserie KG, Fontainebleau

Chef Kunihisa Goto and pastry chef Ayako Kishi give their interpretation of the lemon tart. Lively, tangy and visually long, this variation stands out for its shape and flavors. A tart with a distinctly Japanese expression, where candied yuzu zest blends cheerfully into the cream, accompanied by candied lemon, adding freshness and sparkling flavors. A detour to Fontainebleau is amust.

Where? 41 rue de France, 77300 Fontainebleau, France
www.lapatisserie-kg.com
Read Gault&Millau's review of L'A Pâtisserie KG

Bonbon de chocolat lemon tart, Johan Giacchetti, Le Bristol, Paris

You had to think of it! Imagine a trompe-l'œil chocolate bonbon that reproduces in every detail the fundamentals of lemon meringue pie. From the very first bite, you'll find yourself immersed in the tart, tangy delights of this tart, with the dark chocolate coating adding just the right amount of delicious crunch. "For Japan, I imagined a box of tea-time chocolate bonbons inspired by the pastries served at tea-time.For the lemon tart version, the bonbon is composed of a crunchy almond hazelnut praline reminiscent of the pastry, a lemon white chocolate ganache and a meringue." The range also includes chocolate Mont-Blanc, orange tart, Opéra and millefeuille. A bluffing tasting!