Lemon-Mint Tart

I never was a lemon person. Whenever I needed fresh citrus for cooking, I used limes. In fact, we could go months without ever buying a lemon. My taste buds must be changing, though, because I’ve started to appreciate the taste of lemon, particularly in sweet (but not too sweet!) incarnations.


The whipped cream tempers the tartness of the custard. The marionberry syrup, which I got at the farmers' market, gives this dessert a nice tang.

The local supermarket was having a special on lemons, 2 lb bags for $1.88. What a deal, huh? I picked up 3 bags. Mostly I’ve been making lemonade and refreshing cocktails, but Hubby suggested making a dessert. Never made a lemon tart before, so I thought I’d give that a try. I found a recipe on Food Network, courtesy of Francois Payard, that seemed pretty straightforward, but it wasn’t. I only blame myself for messing around with a recipe from a world-famous pattisier. However, everything worked out fine in the end and we all lived happily ever after, as you can tell from the picture.

Lemon-mint tart
adapted from Francois Payard’s recipe on Food Network

• ½ cup packed mint leaves (stems okay too), roughly chopped
• ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3 or 4 lemons)
• zest from lemons
• ½ cup granulated sugar (about 4 oz)
• 4 to 5 eggs
• 3 tbs unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Sweet tart dough

• 1 cup + 1 tbs confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 9 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg

In a mortar, grind the mint leaves with the lemon zest and a little of the sugar. When you get a rough paste, transfer it to a plastic or glass container. Add the lemon juice and the rest of the sugar. Mix well and allow the mixture to sit overnight in the fridge. This will help extract more of the mint flavor.

This dough recipe makes enough for two tarts, but the filling is only enough for one. Don’t ask me why; I’m just the chump who tried out the recipe. I used mini-tart pans and got 9 of them using half the dough. You may freeze the other half, well wrapped, for a couple of months or use it for another tart.

The easiest way to make the crust is with a food processor. Add all the ingredients, except the egg, and pulse until they are uniform. Add the egg and pulse just until the dough comes together. Turn out the dough. It will be sticky. REALLY, VERY, TOTALLY STICKY! I wish I would have known that in advance so I could adequately flour my counter. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You definitely don’t want to skip this part. You want the dough to be chilled through when you roll it out, otherwise you will just have a terrible sticky mess. (Make sure you have plenty of flour handy when you roll out the dough because you’ll need to lightly sprinkle flour on after every couple of passes. And work fast because the dough warms up pretty quickly. It was a bit annoying since I’d never worked with such a sticky dough before, but well worth it.) Pre-bake the crust at 350F for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust starts to turn golden. Don’t let it get too brown because you’ll be giving it another 10 minutes when the custard bakes.

The following day, strain the mixture into a glass or other non-reactive bowl. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks a bit murky. As you can see from my picture, it brightens up after adding the remaining ingredients. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the butter and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. According to the original instructions, we’re supposed to whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth, but by that point my mixture was still quite thin and wasn’t really cooked. Luckily I have some experience making custard-based desserts, so I decided to continue cooking and whisking. As the mixture started to warm up, it did start to thicken a bit, but I was still afraid it would be too thin, so I added another egg. It thickened up quite quickly, but it may have done that if I just cooked it long enough. Basically it should be able to coat the back of a spoon. Set the mixture aside (off the water) to cool for a few minutes.

Pour the slightly cooled mixture into the pre-baked shell, and bake in a 325F oven (don’t go higher or the custard may curdle) just until the center sets, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack, then in the fridge until completely chilled. Serve with whipped cream.

I'm submitting this to Weekend Wokking (before the deadline!), where the theme ingredient this month is, you guessed it, LEMONS! The host is Wandering Chopsticks. If you have a lemon recipe to submit, please send entries to wanderingchopsticks(at)gmail(dot)com by 11:59 May 31.

Mint and Lemongrass Green Tea Ice Cream

In case you forgot, it's St. Patrick's Day!

I was reminded when I was driving Sonny to school (not that I really forgot; I mean, who forgets a “holiday” centered around drinking beer?). Sonny also caught the radio DJ saying something about it. I heard his sad voice from the backseat, “You forgot to tell me to wear green and I will be the only one at school not wearing green.” He sounded so heartbroken, which in turn broke my heart. I assured him not everyone would be wearing green. Then I pointed out that his scarf has green and his pillow and blanket are green. But he didn’t look like he was really buying it, and it was too late to run back home. And sure enough, when we walked into class, everybody was wearing something green. Man, did I feel like a jerk. Luckily, one of the teachers saved the day by suggesting Sonny cut out a large green shamrock to pin to his shirt. But I still felt like a jerk. As soon as I got home, I started on a batch of mint and lemongrass green tea ice cream. Yes, I’m the type of mother who shows love through food. And yes, I know what current conventional parenting wisdom says about that, with childhood obesity and all, but I really don’t care.



The first time I tried making ice cream with my new ice cream maker, I used a recipe that made like 3 or 4 quarts. Not only was it a logistical nightmare because I only have one freezer bowl, but the texture was not smooth and creamy enough. Subsequent attempts with different recipes turned out alright flavorwise, but they left me searching for better texture. I think my search is finally over.

Now, about the ice cream: it’s basically a vanilla ice cream infused with tea. The vanilla ice cream comes from Maida Heatter’s Cakes. There are two things I like about this recipe: the texture is right on, and the final amount is about 1 ½ pints, which happens to be the perfect amount for 3 or 4 people. For the tea, you can choose any good cream and sugar tea. The tea I chose has a hint of lemongrass and mint. I used 5 tea bags so the ice cream is sufficiently flavored of green tea, but I only wish the lemongrass and mint were a little more prevalent. Next time I’ll trying infusing with an extra stalk of lemongrass and crushed, fresh mint. Still, an excellent result that was a hit all around.

Green Tea Ice Cream
makes about 1 1/2 pints

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5 green tea bags (Thai tea also works very well)
• 4 egg yolks
• ½ granulated sugar
• seeds scraped from one vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of the cream with the vanilla seeds just to a boil (if you’re using extract, add it at the end of cooking). Add the 5 tea bags, cover and remove from heat to steep for about 5 to 10 minutes.

In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes or so. Gradually add in the sugar and beat for another 2 or 3 minutes on high, until the sugar is well incorporated into the egg. With all this beating, make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally to ensure everything is well incorporated and you don't lose half the stuff on the sides of the bowl.

Remove the tea bags from the cream and discard them. Be sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the bags. Slowly add the cream to the eggs while mixing vigorously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to medium heat. Cook the custard until a candy thermometer reaches about 175˚. Make sure you are stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, especially as it reaches the target. If you don’t have a thermometer, you’ll know it’s done when it gets thick and coats the back of your utensil without dripping off. (If the custard starts to stick to the bottom like it’s about to scramble, you’ve overshot, and it's definitely done. But don’t throw in the towel just yet. You may be able to salvage it if you haven’t grossly overshot.)

Once you remove the custard from the heat, add the remaining cup of cream (and vanilla extract, if using) while mixing well. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large, clean bowl. Don’t press the debris through the sieve. Anything that doesn’t go through by gravity is not meant to go in the ice cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (longer is better) before churning. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker (model ICE-BC; thanks Bedstemor and Bedstefar!) and it took about 25 minutes to get it to be the consistency of soft serve. I froze it for an additional 3 hours before serving. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for churning and freezing.

If this ice cream has piqued your interest, may I suggest trying Thai tea crème brulee? It’s delicious and creamy-smooth. I promise you’ll love it.

Spicy Shrimp and Pomelo Salad

Could it be? Is Spring coming early this year? Today it was just above 60 F and I swear people were walking around in shorts. I spent the day working in my garden. The snow peas are planted. The cilantro is planted. I laid down landscaping tarp to control them pesky weeds. Here in Portland, they grow like nobody’s business and no matter how much elbow grease I put into it, after about a week of warm weather, my garden is overrun. I also started my indoor seeds. This year I’m growing my own Thai sweet basil and holy basil. I sure hope my kaffir lime tree comes back to life. I left it insulated outside because I didn’t have any place to put it inside. I guess I’ll know in a couple of months. I do know that my lemongrass is dead (sorry mom). They didn't make it despite the insulation.

While I was toiling away in my yard, I was daydreaming about the coming summer. I’m so looking forward to grilling and eating al fresco, my tomato harvest, and leaving my back door open to allow a gentle breeze to cool my house. And just because I'm tired of heavy winter food, I made a refreshing shrimp and pomelo salad for dinner today. I found the recipe in a Thai cookbook I got from Costco called The Food of Thailand (check out the thumbnail in the right sidebar). I bought it for the pictures, but wasn’t expecting too much from the recipes. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I use it often for guidelines and inspiration.

You'll notice I listed a few things as optional because I didn't add them for one reason or another, but I still think the result was quite tasty. The sweet acidity of the pomelo goes so well with the spiciness of the dressing. And it takes no time to throw it all together. If you're a fan of Thai flavors, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Pomelo is the godfather of citrus fruits (as far as size goes). It's got a thick skin that's a bitch to peel, so I always cut it with a sharp knife. The taste is more mellow than a grapefruit. By that, I mean it's sweeter and less acidic. The difference between the two remind me of the difference between a lime and a regular lemon. If you like grapefruit, I'm positive you'll like pomelo. And if you're not a fan of grapefruit, give pomelo a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Pomelo and Shrimp Salad with Spicy Herb Dressing

• 2/3 to ¾ pounds medium shrimp, shelled and de-veined
• 1 pomelo
• ¼ large sweet onion, sliced into thin wedges
• ½ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs naam prik phao
  
• 1 tbs fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Thai chilies split lengthwise, to taste (optional)
• 3 tbs unsweetened (!!) shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
• 1 tbs crispy fried shallots or onions (optional)

Set a medium pot of water on for the shrimp. When it comes to a rapid boil, add the shrimp and allow them to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes (adjust the heat if necessary to keep it at a simmer). Resist the urge to stir the shrimp. Just let them poach away gently. When they’re done, drain them and dunk them in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain them again and put them in the fridge until needed.

It’s easiest to peel the pomelo using a sharp knife. Try to remove as much of the pith as possible, since it can be quite bitter. Cut the segments free and reserve them in a bowl.

In another small bowl, combine the fish sauce, naam prik phao, lime juice and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. You want a uniform mixture. Adjust the taste by adding more fish sauce, lime juice or sugar.

To assemble the salad, combine the onion, chili, mint, cilantro and toasted coconut in a large mixing bowl. Add the shrimp and pomelo (but not the accumulated juices). Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the dressing on top and stir gently. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Lastly, top with the fried onions, if using. Serve immediately, alone or with lettuce or cabbage leaves for wrapping.