Procedure for Lemon Meringue Pie

[MarkV]

Dear Pastry Friends:

The other night at the cooking classes I teach, Lemon Meringue Pie was on the menu. (I don't choose the recipes. The dishes and prep instructions come down from corporate).

The instructions for the filling were as such:

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan

Whisk the egg yolks, milk, and lemon juice in a bowl.

Then add the egg mixture to the sugar mixture in the sauepan and bring to a boil. Finish with butter, vanilla and zest.

My question is whether this procedure could cause the eggs to curdle because they are not tempered but mixed with everything else from the starting point and then everything is brought to a boil collectively.

I didn't want to take a chance so I made the filling using the standard pastry cream procedure. I brought the sugar/milk to a boil, and then gradually added half of it into the eggs beaten with cornstarch, then poured the egg mixture into the milk/sugar, and brought it to a boil. The filling came out perfect.

What do you guys think of the original instructions? I've never heard of it being done that way but I am not a pastry chef.

Thanks,

Mark

[Headless Chicken]

Though I don't use milk, my procedure is exactly like how you did yours. Less chance of messing up IMO.

[MarkV]

Yes, some cooks use water instead of milk for the filling.

What's "IMO"?

Mark

[Jock]

IMO = In My Opinion

Jock

[panini]

The recipe is standard but does seem to be topsy turvy. Your directions, might cause some dry ingredients not to be desolved.
You won't scramble if you stay with it.

[rajeev]

Dear Mark,
No Need To Worryfrom Now On.take This Recipe
9 Whole Eggs,400 Gms Of Caster Sugar,juice Of 10 Lemon Along With Its Zest.fresh Cream 250 Gms.
Method:mix Egss And Sugar Add Lemon Juice And Cream.lett It Rest For Some Time Skim It Tilll U Get A Shiny Mix,strain It Mixx Lemon Zest,cook It On Top Of A Induction Plate Till Thick In Consistency With A Wooden Spatula Contiuously.
For The Meringue Let The Ratio Of Eggwhite To Sugar Be 1:2(let Sugar Be Half Caster And Half Icing)cause It Makes The Meringe More Crispier