Vinegar pie with meringue

Whisk the sifted flour and salt together.

Cut in the chilled lard with a pastry cutter to the consistency of a coarse cornmeal.

Add the cold water a little at a time into the dry area, stirring with a fork, until the dough is just moist enough to hold together without being sticky.

Chill half an hour.

Roll the firmed dough out, to a crust said to be 1 and 1/8 of an inch thick.

Snip the sides even and crimp the edge by lifting the crust with a thumb and two fingers.

Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork every half inch or so and chill another half hour.

Line with tinfoil positioned clear of the crimp and add a pie weight.

Blind bake in a 450 degree Fahrenheit oven 15 minutes, then shield the edges and bake another five minutes until fully baked and golden.

Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer and set a bowl over it as a double boiler, the water not touching the base of the bowl.

Add three egg yolks and whisk.

Add the sugar and salt and keep stirring about a minute.

Gradually add the boiling water, stirring constantly.

Dissolve the cornstarch into the cold water and the apple cider vinegar and stir that into the double boiler, with the water underneath boiling.

Stir constantly 12 minutes until thickened and smooth.

Stir in the lemon extract.

Pour the hot filling into the baked pie shell and leave it to cool to lukewarm.

Beat the egg whites with the salt, vanilla and cream of tartar until frothy, then add the sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until stiff peaks form.

Spoon the meringue around the edge of the filling and seal it to the edges to prevent shrinkage, then pile the rest in the centre and connect it to the outer edge.

Lift the meringue into peaks with the back of a teaspoon.

Shield the browned crust edge and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, until the meringue starts turning brown.