Instructions

1. For the pastry, place all ingredients except the egg (and water) in a bowl or in a food processor. Lightly rub butter into the other ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs, with plenty of pea sized pieces of butter remaining, or if using a food processor, pulse until mixture resembles the same.
2. Add the egg and use a fork to mix, then use your hands to lightly bring all the ingredients together. If using a food processor, pulse until ingredients form a ball.
3. If dough is too dry to hold together, add a teaspoon of ice-water at a time, until ingredients just hold together. Tip ingredients out onto a floured surface and lightly knead just to bring pastry together Tip: Do not overwork the pastry otherwise it will be tough. The less you handle it, the better. You want to still see bits of butter in the finished dough, this is what makes it flaky
4. Flatten into a disc shape and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for between 30mins to an hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and place a large baking tray inside to heat. Remove pastry from the fridge and unwrap.
5. On a flour surface, gently roll out pastry so that it’s large enough to line a round 23cm/9″ loose bottomed tart tin, making sure to keep pastry moving so that it doesn’t stick and dusting with flour as needed. Dust off any excess flour from the surface of the pastry then carefully lift it and lay it in the tart tin. Use the palm of your hand and pads of your fingertips to press the pastry into the tin. Use a fork to prick the surface of the pastry, then chill in the freezer for 15-20mins.
6. Remove from freezer and cut off excess overhanging pastry. Line the pastry with rumpled parchment paper or 2 layers of clingfilm and fill to the top with baking beads or dried beans or rice. Place on preheated baking tray and blind bake for 15mins.
7. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the baking beads/beans then return to the oven and bake for further 10-15mins, until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. For the curd, roughly mash the raspberries then push through a sieve set over a bowl. Once you have enough raspberry juice to make up 250ml (1 cup), discard the pulp.
9. Place all ingredients except the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium low heat. Stir constantly using a whisk initially to break up any lumps, then switch to a spatula. Cook, stirring all the time, until curd becomes “pudding thick”, that is, thicker than a custard which will coat the back of a spoon. You want it to be thick enough that it drops off your spoon rather than pours. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it’s completely melted and combined with the curd.
10. Pass through a sieve into a heatproof bowl and cover with clingfilm then leave to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, pour into the cooled pastry case and refrigerate until chilled.
11. For the meringue, place egg whites and sugar in a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites on low speed to start with until the sugar has dissolved and it becomes foamy. Increase the speed to high and beat until it resembles marshmallow fluff. Remove from heat and continue whisking until peaks are stiff and glossy.
12. To assemble, remove tart from fridge and spoon meringue over the curd. Use the back of a spoon to make peaks, or as I’ve done, smooth the meringue then create a large swirl pattern.
13. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue, or, place under a hot grill just until toasted. Tip: Keep a close eye when toasting the meringue, it goes from lovely and toasted to burnt in seconds. Best eaten on the day, but can be kept in the fridge. The meringue may weep a small bit, but this is just from the sugar in the meringue.