22/06/2025
Gooseberry meringue pie
This recipe puts a fresh twist on the classic lemon meringue pie by swapping lemons for gooseberries; their sharp, complex acidity rivals the lemon's bite. For me, gooseberries are the flavour of early summer. I used gooseberries from my garden, along with locally grown gooseberries from Augernik Fruit Farm picked up at Cleobury Mortimer Farmers Market. The rest of the ingredients come from some of my favourite pantry spots, Broad Bean - 60 Broad Street and Myriad Organics in the market town of Ludlow.
Makes 8 tarts
Shortcrust pie ingredients:
300g of flour
150g of unsalted butter
75g of caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp cold water
* or alternatively buy 2 sheets of premade store bought short-crust pastry.
Gooseberry filling:
600g gooseberries, topped and tailed
Zest of 1 lemon
100ml water
50g cornflour
150g caster sugar
6 egg yolks
50g butter
For the meringue:
6 egg whites
340g caster sugar
3 tsp cornflour
Toppings:
A few sweet cicely leaves
Icing sugar to dust
Recipe:
Pastry: Pulse the flour, butter, sugar in a food processor until breadcrumb-like. Add remaining ingredients to form a dough. Shape into a ball and wrap pastry in cling-film to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Blind bake: Grease 4-inch tartlet tins with a loose base. Heat the oven to 170C. Roll pastry 5mm thick and cut into rounds to fit into the tartlet tins. Place greaseproof paper and baking beans over the top, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5-7 minutes until the pastry is dry and pale golden. Leave to cool while making the filling.
Filling: Cook gooseberries with 100ml water until collapsed. Allow to cool then push through a sieve. In a pan, mix the puree with lemon zest, cornflour and water. When smooth add sugar and yolks. Add the butter and bring a simmer, still stirring. It should be as thick as custard. Spoon into the tart case and allow to cool completely.
Meringue: Whisk whites to soft peaks, gradually add sugar until stiff and shiny. Fold in cornflour. Pipe onto pies.
Finish: Bake for 15 mins at 180°C until golden. Allow to cool, dust with icing sugar and garnish with sweet cicely herb.
