I’m a sucker for any dessert that uses ingredients normally associated with savory dishes. The Thai chili ice cream from the gourmet ice cream shop in my neighborhood is a prime example: Is the Thai chili better than the mango lassi? I may never find out, so tempted am I by more unexpected ingredients. My interest was then naturally piqued by the idea of this olive oil tarte when it was suggested to me by a friend whose baking is legendary.

In letting myself get preoccupied by the addition of olive oil to this tarte, which I felt sure was going to add another dimension of yum, I left myself totally defenseless against the utter bliss of the lemon curd. It would seem unfair to neglect to preface this recipe: You will want to eat the lemon curd with a spoon. It’s perfection and you won’t be able to resist. You have been warned. But don’t be discouraged and stop at the lemon curd when you find yourself curled up with the mixing bowl on your lap, because the only way I’d rather eat lemon curd than cradled in a giant soupspoon is atop a crispy almond crust.

I really fumbled along the way making this recipe, and as a result it took two stabs at the crust and three at the filling to get it right. My mistakes made for a few scars, but I do think I finally hammered out issues with measurements, since my pan was much larger than the original recipe called for. However, if you find that you have too much dough for your tarte pan, I would encourage you to use only what you need. I used it all and my crust was a tiny bit thicker than I normally like.

Lemon Curd and Olive Oil Tarte (adapted from Epicurious)

For shell:

• 3 oz. whole roasted almonds, skin on (about 2 slightly heaping tablespoons)
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

For lemon curd:

• 4 large lemons
• 1-1/8 cups granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 whole large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

1. In the bowl of a food processor, blend almonds, flour, sugar and salt until the almonds are finely ground. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas and the mixture resembles a course meal. Add the egg yolks and olive oil and blend just until a soft dough forms.

2. Spread dough over bottom and up sides of an 11-inch tarte pan with removable bottom. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Put the crust in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes or until firm, then bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden. Remove to a rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. 

3. Grate the lemons to collect 1-2 tablespoons of zest depending on how intense you want the lemon flavor to be (I used 2), then juice the lemons, which should yield about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, sugar, corn starch, eggs and yolks. Place over medium heat and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes or until thick. It might take a little longer, and be careful not to stop before it thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and olive oil. 

4. Pour the lemon curd into the shell and spread evenly with a spatula. Cool for at least two hours before serving.