• 1 x 350 g shortcrust pastry
• 3 medium un-waxed lemons, preferably thin-skinned lemons
• 400 g white granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 free-range eggs
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 120 g melted butter
• 3 tablespoons cornflour

Glaze

• 1 egg white
• White caster sugar

1. Start the day before you want to bake the pie: Wash the lemons and dry them. Finely grate the lemon zest and add it to mixing bowl. Slice the lemons VERY thinly, almost paper thin. I used a small serrated knife but a mandoline slicer would be best. Remove the pips and add any juice to the bowl, with the zest and the lemon slices. Add the sugar and the salt, mix, cover and set aside to macerate overnight at room temperature.
2. The next day when you are ready to bake the pie: Pre-heat oven to 210°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Butter a 23cm (9”) pie dish, tin or pie plate. A deep one is better as it holds the filling without spillage.
3. Roll out half of the shortcrust pastry and line the buttered pie dish with it. Trim the edge leaving a little overhang.
4. Add the eggs, egg yolk, melted butter and cornflour to the macerated sugar and lemon mixture, mix it all together and pour it into the pastry lined pie dish.
5. Roll out the remaining pastry and place it over the filling. Press around the crust to seal it.
6. Beat the egg white with a teaspoon of water until frothy and brush it over the pie crust liberally. Sprinkle over the sugar and then make several cuts in the pie crust to allow the steam to escape when baking.
7. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes before reducing the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4 and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and there is a meringue-like glaze on the top of the pie.
8. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving in thin slices.