The acclaimed London-based photographer and director shares his mother’s recipe for their family’s celebratory staple.
For Thurstan Redding, the familiar sweet and tangy taste of his mother’s lemon tart is just as memorable as a storied mishap that took place on one special occasion. “I remember her once accidentally swapping the sugar for salt, which ended up tasting terrible but became a staple family anecdote,” he tells Family Style. This, perhaps, taught Redding the resonance of experimentation. Born in Hong Kong and raised in France, in the last decade, Redding has photographed striking campaigns and lookbooks for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci, and Miu Miu. In 2017, a chance encounter with a cosplayer dressed in a manga-inspired outfit on the streets of Los Angeles sparked the photographer’s curiosity and led him to attend his first Comic-Con. More than 60 cosplayers, captured in over 50 locations in the span of three years, are featured in Redding’s 2023 debut photography book Kids of Cosplay. The result is a striking compilation of images that paint an intimate portrait of the cosplay community. For Family Style, Redding shares his mother’s recipe for lemon tart, the centerpiece of some of his fondest childhood memories.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (no self-raising flour)
- ¼ cup sifted confectioners sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup margarine
- 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (or juice of 2 large lemons)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup demerara sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 356 degrees.
- Stir together 1 cup of flour and ¼ cup icing sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and
add margarine. Mix together until the texture is crumbly (like breadcrumbs). - Put the dough into a 9-inch diameter baking pan (or square baking pan). Bake for about 15 minutes (lightly colored). Remove the baking pan from the oven.
- Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, fresh lemon juice, baking powder, demerara sugar, and 1 tablespoon of flour in a medium bowl until well combined.
- Re-whisk the lemon juice mixture and pour it gently over the crust (already baked).
- Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for about 20–25 minutes (until light golden brown).
- Remove the pan from the oven to the rack and allow it to cool.
- At serving time, sprinkle the tart with icing sugar.
- Slice for servings.