By Jennie
This recipe is from Nigel Slater, an English chef, who borrowed it from Margaret Costa, who probably took it from some age-old recipe since I also have another English recipe book with about the same recipe. It is yummy and as Nigel says “mouth-puckering.”
A simple enough mixture that cleverly separates in the oven into two layers: one of sponge and the other of lemon custard. It is good hot or cold.
For 6 (if you want to share!)
100g/3.5 oz. unsalted butter
175g/6 oz. sugar (the recipe calls for caster sugar, but any white or tan sugar is fine)
finely grated zest of 2 and juice of 3 lemons
4 eggs, separated
50g/1.5 oz. all purpose flour
500 ml/17 fl. oz. milk
Butter a large ovenproof dish (about 4.5 pint size)
Preheat the oven to 350.
Using an electric or hand-held beater, cream the butter with the sugar until it is creamy, white and fluffy.
Add the lemon zest and juice; the mixture will probably curdle at this point but ignore it. It is fine.
Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Gently beat in the flour and the milk. You will now have a dodgy looking batter. It’s fine!
With a clean whisk, beat the egg whites till they stand in snowy peaks, then fold gently into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into the buttered dish, then set the dish in a roasting tin with enough water in to come half way up the sides of the dish.
Bake for forty five to fifty minutes, until the sponge has risen and a thick, lemony custard has appeared under it.
Serve with cream if you wish (it is good on its own though : )
Back