Parisian Lemon Meringue Pie

If all-American lemon meringue pie attended finishing school in Paris, this dessert would be the result. At L’Almanach Montmartre in the 18th, chef Léo Giorgis prepares a magical tarte citron meringuée by filling a buckwheat short crust with a gelatin-stabilized lemon curd, its brassiness smoothed over by olive oil and lots of butter, and with mascarpone whipped cream folded in for a little lightness. He then pipes on Italian meringue and toasts it. Smitten, we got to work right away on a pie version of Giorgis’ tartlets. We opted for an easy press-in crust but hewed closely to his curd and meringue. If you have only very bold extra-virgin olive oil, consider cutting it with a little neutral oil so its flavor does not overwhelm the citrus. Italian meringue, which requires pouring hot sugar syrup onto whipped egg whites, requires more time and effort than a simple French meringue, but it is much more stable. So unlike the meringue on a standard lemon meringue pie, this one will not weep or shrink. In fact, once assembled, the pie will hold nicely for up to a day in the refrigerator; serve it chilled. A kitchen torch is the best way to toast the meringue.