British Lemon Meringue Pie
This British lemon meringue pie has a sticky, soft filling rather than the firm yellow gel of the American style. The filling is just condensed milk, one egg yolk and fresh lemon, set over a crushed digestive biscuit base. The order matters: the yolk goes in before the lemon, because lemon juice added first makes the yolk turn stringy. Baking cooks the meringue and only half sets the centre.
Instructions
Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs by pounding them with the end of a rolling pin.
Mix in enough melted butter to make the crumbs hold together. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 10 inch (25 cm) pie dish, 1 inch deep, and firm it down with the back of a spoon to make an even base.
Stir the sweetened condensed milk and the egg yolk together gently. Only then add the lemon zest and juice, tasting as you go. More lemon gives a better flavour, but too much will spoil the texture, so keep stirring to a minimum.
Pour the filling over the biscuit base and spread it to cover.
Whip the egg whites until foamy, then beat in the caster sugar a little at a time until the meringue holds stiff peaks.
Spoon the meringue over the filling and spread it right to the edge of the dish so it seals against the crust.
Bake in a moderately cool oven at 325 °F / 162 °C for about 45 minutes, until the meringue is light golden brown. The meringue should be cooked through and the filling only partly set.
Let the pie cool, then chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours so it sets before slicing.
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