Pink Grapefruit Curd Tart with Meringue, Sponge toffee, and Gin Grapefruit Gel

Ingredients

Yield:

1 tart

• Grapefruit Curd

  • 1 cup (250 mL) fresh pink grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch table
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter table, diced
  • 1 drop of red dye

• Italian Meringue

  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 5 egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• Sponge Toffee

  • 2 ½ cups (625 mL) granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup (150 mL) white corn syrup
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) water
  • 4 tsp (18 mL) baking soda
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

• Gin Grapefruit Gel

  • 100ML Gin
  • 100ML pink grapefruit juice
  • 100G sugar
  • 3G agar agar

• Tart Shell

  • 2+1/3 cups Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 3 tsp Sugar
  • 325 g Butter, frozen, cut into cubes
  • 100 ml Ice-cold Water

Preparation

Difficulty:

Medium

Time:

30 Minutesprep time

Total Time:

60 Minutes

1. Grapefruit Curd

   1. Combine the grapefruit juice, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and egg yolks in a small saucepan
   2. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens and bubbles form on the surface (about 10 minutes)
   3. Remove from heat. Add the cold butter and mix well with a whisk until smooth
   4. Let cool slightly before placing in pots. Grapefruit curd will keep one week in the refrigerator

2. Italian Meringue

   1. In a small pot over low heat, combine sugar and water. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely. Do not stir. Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent sugar crystals from forming around the sides, falling in and causing a chain reaction. Prepare your meringue.
   2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form
   3. With the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over fluffed egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy

3. Sponge Toffee

   1. In 12-cup (3 L) saucepan, stir together sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat just until sugar dissolves
   2. Bring to boil; cook, without stirring but brushing down side of pan occasionally with pastry brush dipped in cold water, until candy thermometer reaches hard-crack stage of 300°F (149°C), or when 1 tsp (5 mL) hot syrup dropped into cold water forms hard brittle threads, about 10 minutes
   3. Remove from heat. Standing back and averting face, whisk in baking soda. (Caramel will bubble and sputter and increase in volume.)
   4. Whisk in vanilla
   5. Pour into parchment lined baking sheet
   6. Let cool in pan on rack without disturbing, about 2 hours

4. Gin Grapefruit Gel

   1. Bring grapefruit juice and sugar to a boil to dissolve agar. Allow to cool before mixing with lemon juice. Allow to set until cold
   2. Process in vitamix until creamy and pass through a tamis
   3. Place in vacuum machine to draw out all the air
   4. Reserve at ambient temperature

5. Tart Shell

   1. Place flour, salt and sugar into a food processor. Pulse several times to mix well. Add butter and pulse for 5 secs. Repeat just until the dough becomes mealy. Pulse the mix while adding the water at the same time, never letting the blade stop until all the water is incorporated
   2. Turn dough onto a clean surface and work it together with your hands just until it all starts to stick together. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, work the wrapped dough as if you were trying to roll it out. The dough will come together and form a nice solid, semi-flat mass that is smooth. You should be able to see pieces of butter through the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs or overnight
   3. Remove dough from the fridge and rest for 15-20 mins. Remove it from the plastic and place onto a floured surface. Gently roll out the dough, working it one way, and then the opposite so that it starts to form a larger circle. Roll out to a thickness of 1cm. Invert a 22cm tart pan with removable base, or 22cm pie dish, and place it on top of rolled out dough. Cut the dough so that it is the shape of the pan, but is 5cm larger on all sides. This will allow for the dough to come up the side
   4. Place the rolling pin on one edge of the pastry and, using your fingers to hold it, start to roll the pin across the dough, causing it to wrap around the pin. Once you reach the edge, lift the pin and place one edge of the dough on top of the tart pan and reverse the motion, unrolling the dough over the pan
   5. Using your fingers, gently work the dough into the pan, to line the base and sides and a little over the edge. Patch any holes with dough scraps
   6. Top with a piece of foil or baking paper large enough to cover the base and sides of the dough. Fill with dry beans or rice. Bake for 20-30 mins, or just until the edges become dark-golden brown. Remove from oven and rest for 5 mins before removing foil and beans. Cool completely. The shell will last for up to two days, so it can be made ahead of time

6. To Assemble

   1. Pour the hot curd into the cooled pie shell
   2. To plate place a wedge of tart on a plate and pipe some of the meringue all over the plate in little dollops. Spoon drag some of the grapefruit gel and scatter some of the grapefruit fillets in a scattered manner on the plate. Finally place some of the broken pieces of sponge toffee on to the plate
   3. Serve and enjoy