Name: Blood Orange Curd Tart with Pomegranate Meringue
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H15M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT8H0M0.000S
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note), plus more for dusting; 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water; 1 teaspoon blood orange zest plus 2 cups blood orange juice (from 10 to 12 blood oranges), plus more zest for garnish; 1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons); 1 cup sugar; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue); 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 large egg whites; 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Directions

Special equipment:

a kitchen blowtorch; optional

For the crust: Pulse the flour, shortening, vinegar, sugar and salt in a food processor until the mixture looks like damp sand, about 10 pulses. Add the butter and pulse to pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough; if it doesn’t hold together, add up to 1 more tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together when pinched. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and dump the dough onto the plastic. Using the edges of the plastic, press the dough into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and preferably overnight. (Freeze up to 2 months.)
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 13-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing the dough into the edges and letting the excess dough hang over the sides. Tuck the excess dough underneath itself so it is even with the edge of the pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the dough all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes to prevent it from shrinking when baked.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment inside the dough and fill with pie weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake until the edges of the crust turn a light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights and bake until the crust is a deep golden brown on the edges and lightly golden in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the crust cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
For the blood orange curd: Meanwhile, whisk the blood orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it begins to bubble and has thickened, 7 to 8 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. Temper the egg yolks by slowly adding half of the hot sugar mixture to the yolks while whisking constantly. Add the tempered yolks back to the saucepan and return to the heat. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until slightly thicker, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the butter until just melted.
Strain the filling through a fine-mesh strainer set over a liquid measuring cup or a medium bowl. Fold in the blood orange zest. Pour the filling directly into the pie crust and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
For the pomegranate meringue: Bring the pomegranate juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; continue to boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Rinse the saucepan, fill it about one-quarter of the way with water and bring to a simmer.
Add the sugar, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the reduced pomegranate juice and return the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes.
Gently mound the meringue on top of the curd filling. Use an offset spatula to make sure the meringue completely covers the filling and meets the crust all around the edges. (This will seal in the filling and help prevent weeping.). Use the offset spatula to create swirls and peaks in the meringue.
Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil in the oven until golden brown, keeping an eye on the meringue if broiling, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with the blood orange zest and pomegranate seeds before serving.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.).

Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should be used only in well-ventilated areas. Follow torch manufacturer's instructions for use.