Dungeness Crab & Lemon Meringue Tartlet

Crab

• 1 pound Dungeness crab meat, cleaned
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 packs of Siljans Croustades Crispy Shells

Meringue

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Lemon Curd

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 6-8 lemons
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Special Equipment

• Brûlée torch

Crab

In a medium bowl, mix the crab meat, mayonnaise and lemon juice to combine and set aside in the refrigerator.

Meringue

To a small pot, add sugar and water and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. The mixture will look cloudy. Gently stir the mixture for 1 minute. There should be little to no granules of sugar left at this point.

Once the mixture begins to bubble from the bottom, after 3 to 5 minutes, place a digital thermometer in the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Do not stir it at all after this. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and watch it carefully.

Add the three room-temperature egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip at the highest speed until they form peaks.

Once the sugar syrup reaches 240°F (this takes about 4- 6 minutes), remove the pot from the heat and remove the thermometer. Allow the boiling to come to a slow bubble before moving on. With the stand mixer on high speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup (steady stream) into the egg whites. Avoid the whisk attachment, or it will fling your mixture all over the bowl.

Once all of the sugar mixture has been added, add the cream of tartar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and continue to whisk for another 3-5 minutes. Place the mixture in a pastry bag with a plain tip.

Lemon Curd

Place the sugar in a medium-sized pot. Zest the lemons onto the sugar. Rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers. This helps to release the oils in the lemon zest. Pour the lemon juice into the pot and gently stir it into the sugar.

In a medium bowl, crack all of the eggs and add the salt. Using a fork, beat very well (try to break up as many white bits as you can).

Pour the eggs into the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice mixture and whisk well. Set the pot over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (or until it coats a rubber spatula).

Slice the butter and set it in a bowl. Place a sieve over it. Pour the curd through the sieve into the butter to remove zest and any egg bits. Stir the strained curd into the butter until the butter is thoroughly melted. Place in a container and set aside.

Assemble

Place about a tablespoon of the crab mixture into each tartlet shell. Top with a tablespoon of lemon curd. Pipe a small amount of meringue on top of the curd. Using a brûlée torch, lightly toast the meringue.

Optional Garnish: Micro Cilantro, Golden Tobiko Caviar

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