Deconstructed Lemon Meringue with Watermelon Sorbet

A refined take on the classic lemon meringue, featuring crisp lemon sable crumbs, velvety whipped lemon curd, airy toasted meringue shards, and a refreshing watermelon sorbet to cleanse the palate.

Steps

1. Prepare Watermelon Sorbet: - Blend watermelon, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. - Strain to remove pulp. - Freeze in an ice cream maker or freeze in a container, stirring every 30 minutes until smooth sorbet forms. 2. Make Lemon Curd: - Whisk egg yolk, sugar, and lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. - Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until thickened. - Remove from heat, stir in butter until smooth. - Chill. 3. Prepare Meringue Shards: - Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. - Gradually add sugar, whipping to stiff peaks. - Spread thinly on parchment paper and bake at 90°C (195°F) for 1 hour until dry. - Cool and break into shards. 4. Make Lemon Sable: - Rub butter into flour, lemon zest, and powdered sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs. - Press into a flat layer on a baking sheet. - Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12 minutes or until golden. - Cool and crumble into coarse crumbs. 5. Assembly: - Spoon lemon curd onto a chilled dessert plate. - Arrange watermelon sorbet quenelle alongside. - Sprinkle lemon sable crumbs around. - Artistically place meringue shards atop or beside curd. - Garnish with micro mint or lemon balm if desired.

For Watermelon Sorbet: - 150g fresh watermelon, seeded - 15g sugar - 5ml lemon juice For Lemon Curd: - 1 egg yolk - 30g sugar - 15ml fresh lemon juice - 10g unsalted butter For Meringue Shards: - 2 egg whites - 50g sugar For Lemon Sable Crumbs: - 40g all-purpose flour - 20g powdered sugar - 20g unsalted butter, cold, cubed - Zest of 1/2 lemon