Other's Lemon Meringue and Lemon Drizzle Doughnuts

Located just off North Street in Bedminster, OTHER is an inviting neighbourhood restaurant serving up unexpected dishes and cosy vibes. We join co-owner and chef Zak Hitchman at this Michelin Bib Gourmand-winning restaurant.

OTHER was opened in 2024 by Zak and his partner Emma, born from their shared love of memorable meals enjoyed in casual settings. Combining Zak’s experience of working in Michelin-starred restaurants with Emma’s background in hospitality, OTHER serves mouth-wateringly imaginative dishes from an ever-changing menu, all in an intimate yet relaxed setting.

‘If you were to ask Chef Zak Hitchman what kind of food he cooks, you may not get a clear answer, such is the variety of influences that he skilfully adopts. That’s borne out here in a playful, constantly changing menu served inside this small, modish bistro with bright orange walls.’ 

~ Michelin Guide, 2025

A standout from OTHER’s constantly changing menu, Zak shares his recipe for Lemon Meringue and Lemon Drizzle Doughnuts. Pairing fresh citrus flavours with indulgent toasted sourdough doughnuts, it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

lemon set custard

1. Mix the sugar and cream until combined.
2. Add the whole eggs and yolks and mix using a hand blender, add the lemon juice, zest, and a nice pinch of salt.
3. Pass this through a sieve and check the seasoning, it's quite sweet so it can take a good pinch of salt.
4. Pour the custard mix into a 25-35cm stoneware oven dish and cook in a low oven at 100°C until the custard has set, this should take around 45 minutes and should reach 85°C.
5. Once set and the mix has a nice wobble, remove from the oven and leave to cool at room temperature before placing in the fridge for atleast 2 hours until cold.

citrus jam

1. Use a knife to remove the skin from the citruses and then segment them, carefully removing any pips and pith, then weigh out what you have left.
2. Add half of this weight to the caster sugar and mix together nicely, leaving to masticate for 5 minutes of so.
3. Then cook the mix in a pan on a medium heat until thickened, it should reach around 105°C.
4. Leave to cool and season to taste with salt. This will make more than you need but it's great with lots of other stuff too, even just in yoghurt for breakfast!

digestive biscuits

1. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and blend in a food processor on full speed until combined, then add in the milk and blend until roughly combined.
2. Bring the mix together by hand, place in a container and rest in the fridge for around 2 hours.
3. Once rested, roll out as thin as possible into sheets (roughly as thick as a pound coin) and bake on greaseproof paper at 160°C for around 12-15 minutes until golden and crispy.
4. Leave to cool.

Lemon syrup

1. Mix the lemon and caster sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Set over a bain marie and reduce until syrupy in texture.

Italian meringue

1. Add sugar and a small splash of water into a small pan and cook on a medium heat until it reaches 121°C.
2. Whilst heating the sugar, start whisking your eggs in a stand mixer (by hand doesn't really work for this recipe, it requires a lot of whisking and very hot sugar), once the sugar has reached 100°C turn the mixer up to full speed.
3. Once the sugar reaches 121°C add it to the egg whites in the mixer and continue to mix on full speed until the whites have cooled, they should be very glossy.

doughnuts

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the stand mixer with a dough hook until combined.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and knead for a minimum of 5 minutes until stretchy.
3. Slowly add in the butter, and continue to mix for a minimum of 10 minutes.
4. Place dough in a clean bowl, clingfilm and leave to prove until doubled in size.
5. Shape into 30g balls and prove again until doubled in size.
6. Fry in hot oil at 190°C until golden brown on both sides.

poppyseed sugar

1. Mix the sugar, poppyseeds and a pinch of salt together nicely.

to serve

1. Start with a spoonful of the set custard in a bowl, spoon over your citrus jam and some slices of raw blood orange or other nice citrus fruit.
2. Snap your digestive biscuit into rough shards and rest a few over the top of this, then pipe or spoon the meringue over the biscuit.
3. Toast the meringue with a blowtorch, drizzle with the lemon syrup and finish by zesting some lemon over the top of the whole thing.
4. Cut your doughnuts in half and toast cut side down in a dry pan.
5. Brush the toasted side with melted butter and then roll in the poppyseed sugar and drizzle with lemon syrup.
6. Serve the doughnuts with the lemon meringue and ENJOY.