Yuzy Meringue Pie by Philip Khoury

Excerpted from Beyond Baking by Philip Khoury (Quadrille, October 2025, $42)

This lemon and yuzu meringue pie is all about balance: bright, citrusy sharpness mellowed by a delicate sweetness. Yuzu, the incredibly fragrant Japanese citrus, brings a depth of flavor that goes beyond just tartness, offering floral and almost spicy notes that make this pie stand out from a classic lemon tart. The filling is silky and vibrant, nestled in a crisp pastry case and topped with a light, billowy aquafaba meringue. If yuzu juice is not available, you can replace it with more lemon juice to make the classic lemon meringue pie.

Yield: 1 x 23 cm (9 in) pie

Short Sweet Pastry

• 50 g soy milk
• 50 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 50 g muscovado sugar
• 100 g extra-virgin olive oil or oil of your choice
• 300 g all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour will also work), plus extra for dusting
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• ¼ lemon, zested
• 1 g fine sea salt

1. Make a syrup by whisking the soy milk, sugars and olive oil together until the mixture is glossy and uniform in color.
2. Combine the flour, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl, then pour in the syrup.
3. Combine the mixture into an even dough using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and press it into a ¾-inch (2 cm) thick disc or square, depending on your desired final shape.
5. Lightly sprinkle some flour over the dough, then place it between two sheets of baking parchment and roll it out to the desired thickness: 1/8 inch (3 mm) for small tarts and 1/6 inch (4 mm) for large ones. You don’t need to chill this dough before rolling it.
6. Remove the top sheet of baking parchment from the dough, then gently place the tart tin on top of the dough to use as a guide. Use a paring knife to trim the pastry around the tin, making sure to cut the pastry about an inch larger in diameter than the tart pan.
7. Remove the tart tin and use the bottom sheet of baking parchment to help flip the dough gently into the tin, then carefully ease it into the shape of the tin with your fingertips. Use the side of your finger to press it against the edges (and into the flutes if the tin is fluted). If your pastry breaks, just press pieces together to join them.
8. Before baking, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
9. Use the tip of a paring knife to ‘dock’ the base with a few pricks, about ¾ inch (2 cm) apart, to stop the base from puffing up.
10. To blind bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (170°C with fan).
11. Bake the chilled pastry in the oven for 9–10 minutes (no baking beans/pie weights required).
12. Increase the temperature to 350°F (160°C with the fan) and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes. The baked pastry will have a golden color throughout.

Yuzu Lemon Curd

• 245 g plant-based milk
• 245 g lemon juice
• 60 g yuzu juice
• 210 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 75 g water
• 53 g cornstarch
• 28 g custard powder or pastry cream powder
• 56 g deodorized coconut oil
• 1 pre-baked 9-inch (23-cm) Short Sweet Pastry tart case

1. Combine the milk, lemon juice, yuzu juice and sugar in a high-sided saucepan and bring to a simmer. The acidity of the juices will make the milk curdle, but it will come back together.
2. Whisk the water and cornstarch together in a medium bowl until smooth, then pour it into the pan in one go, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken quickly.
3. Add the coconut oil and blend the mixture with a hand-held blender. Something slightly magical will happen: the color will lighten and the texture will become silky and smooth. Be careful not to over-blend. Leaving out this last step will result in a set texture that’s far less pleasurable to eat.
4. Pour the curd into a shallow dish and place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Transfer the chilled curd to a large bowl and whisk it with a balloon whisk until smooth and creamy, then pour it into the pre-baked tart shell and smooth the top.

Candied Lemon Strips

• 1 lemon
• 230 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 240 g water

1. Peel strips of skin from the lemon and slice them into 1/16-inch (1 mm) thin strips.
2. Place the lemon peel in a saucepan with the sugar and water and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Strain before using.

Aquafabe Meringue

• 150 g aquafaba
• 150 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 3 g cream of tartar

1. Up to one hour before you want to serve the pie, make the meringue and decorate the pie (any earlier and the meringue can start to lose its structure).
2. Place the aquafaba in a clean bowl of a stand mixer, along with the sugar and cream of tartar.
3. Use the whisk attachment to whip the mixture for 4–5 minutes until you have a stable, fluffy meringue with firm peaks.
4. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large, plain tip.
5. Pipe peaks of meringue over the yuzu and lemon curd. Alternatively, you can use a spatula to decorate it in a free-form way.
6. You may use a kitchen blowtorch to brown the meringue if you fancy; otherwise, simply leave it angelic white.
7. Decorate with the candied lemon strips.

(This recipe appeared in the Winter 30 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)