Pie and Pastry Bible (53 page)

My preference is for a classic graham cracker crust and a meringue topping. I like to lighten the filling very slightly by folding the equivalent of one egg white from the meringue topping into it. If you prefer a whipped cream topping, see the variation below.

The secret to the famous Key Lime Pie from Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant in Miami, I suspect, is that they serve it partially frozen.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 350°F. • BAKING TIME: 20 MINUTES (PLUS ABOUT 1 MINUTE BROILING) SERVES: 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*To make your own superfine sugar, simply place granulated sugar in a food processor with the metal blade and process for a few minutes or until fine.
Graham Cracker Crumb Crust for a 9-inch pie (page 66), pressed into the pan		•	•
Filling 4 large eggs, separated yolks (4 egg whites reserved)	scant liquid cup	2.5 ounces	74 grams
sweetened condensed milk	1¼ liquid cups (one 14-ounce can)	14 ounces	400 grams
finely grated lime zest	1½ teaspoons	•	3 grams
freshly squeezed lime juice	¾ liquid cup	6.6 ounces	188 grams
Light Italian Meringue Topping sugar, preferably superfine*	(6½ cups) ½ cup	3.5 ounces	100 grams
water	2 tablespoons	1 ounce	30 grams
4 large egg whites (reserved)	½ liquid cup	4.25 ounces	120 grams
cream of tartar	½ teaspoon	•	•
optional: powdered sugar	about 1 tablespoon	•	•

EQUIPMENT

A 9-inch pie pan

Make the crust (page 66) and press it into the pan (see page 69).

Preheat the oven to 35O°F. at least 15 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the middle level before preheating.

MAKE THE FILLING

In a medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk. Gradually beat in the lime juice. (It will cause the mixture to thicken.) Beat in the zest.

MAKE THE ITALIAN MERINGUE

Have ready a 1-cup heatproof liquid measure by the range.

In a small heavy saucepan, preferably with nonstick lining, stir together the sugar and the water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring and turn down the heat to the lowest setting. (If using an electric range, remove the pan from the heat.)

In a mixing bowl, using the whisk beater, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly.

Increase the heat under the syrup and boil until a thermometer registers 236°F. (soft ball stage). Immediately pour the syrup into the glass measure to stop the cooking.

If using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the syrup into the whites in a steady stream. To keep syrup from spinning onto the sides of the bowl, do not allow it to fall directly on the beaters. If using a stand mixer, pour a small amount of syrup over the whites with the mixer off. Immediately beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add a larger amount of syrup. Beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Continue with the remaining syrup. With the last addition, use a rubber scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the measure. Continue beating on high speed for about 2 minutes or until the outside of the bowl is no longer too hot to touch comfortably.

Remove a scant 2 cups of the meringue and cover the remainder with plastic wrap. Set it aside.

Fold the scant 2 cups of meringue into the lime mixture and pour it into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes (to set the filling more firmly). Remove the pie from the oven and spread the remaining meringue on top of the filling, starting from the outside edge of the crust and covering the border about halfway. Use a small metal spatula to make attractive swirls and peaks. If desired, for extra crunch, dust the meringue with powdered sugar.

Return the pie to the oven for 5 minutes more. Then turn the oven to broil and brown the meringue for 20 seconds to 1 minute, watching carefully to prevent burning, until the meringue is golden. Cool in a place away from drafts for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. (The pie can be cut after 2 hours but the slices hold their shape better after 4.)

Cut with a wet thin-bladed knife.

VARIATION

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
Instead of making the Italian meringue, place one of the large egg whites (2 tablespoons) in a medium mixing bowl and beat until foamy. (Freeze the remaining 3 egg whites for future use, or discard.) Add
teaspoon of cream of tartar and beat at medium speed, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Fold this meringue into the lime mixture and proceed as above.

Shortly before serving, whip ½ cup of heavy cream with 1½ teaspoons of sugar until it mounds softly when dropped from a spoon. Pass it to serve on the side. Or, to cover the entire pie, make one recipe of Stabilized Whipped Cream (page 553) and spread it on top of the cooled filling.

STORE

Uncovered, refrigerated, up to 3 days.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

For the most stable (one that does not form teardrops or water out) yet lightest meringue topping, it is best to make the light Italian meringue, but an uncooked meringue is fine if you are planning to consume the entire pie shortly after preparing it. Fold a scant 2 cups of meringue into the filling and immediately spread the remainder on top. Bake the pie for 15 minutes or until the meringue is golden. (Do not bake the Italian meringue for 15 minutes; if it bakes for more than 5 minutes, it will overcook and deflate.)

TO MAKE A SIMPLE SOFT MERINGUE TOPPING

See page 180.

TO MAKE A SIMPLE “SAFE” SOFT MERINGUE ACCORDING TO THE EGG BOARD GUIDELINES

See page 180.

UNDERSTANDING

After performing a blind tasting, I found that I strongly preferred the flavor of the Persian lime (the ordinary supermarket variety) to that of the Key lime, whose bitterness seemed to penetrate the sweetness, or to the bottled Key lime juices, which had a metallic aftertaste.

In past years, when uncooked egg yolk was not a problem, some Key lime pie recipes did not call for baking them but relied on the reaction of the acidic lime juice with the condensed milk to thicken the filling. Baking, however, is not only safer, it also thickens the texture to make the slices firmer.

NADÈGE TART

T
his lemon tart, with a deep layer of lemon curd and a thin crown of intricately piped meringue, was born at my friend Nadæge Brossollet’s farmhouse in the Loire Valley in France. My goal was to make a lemon meringue pie as a tart and to replace the cornstarch-thickened lemon custard with a more intense and starchless lemon curd. I also wanted the tart to have less meringue for a better balance of sweetness to tartness.

Several years later, I attended a class given by chef Dieter Schorner, who is currently dean of the pastry program at the French Culinary Institute. He demonstrated a lemon tart that contained a very thin, barely perceptible cake layer between lemon curd and meringue. He explained that the cake kept the meringue from slipping against the lemon curd filling and also absorbed any moisture released by the meringue. I have adopted the technique for all my meringue tarts.

OVEN TEMPERATURE: 300°F., THEN 500°F. • BAKING TIME: 10 TO 15 MINUTES SERVES: 6 TO 8
INGREDIENTS	MEASURE	WEIGHT
VOLUME	OUNCES	GRAMS
*If not using the cake layer, you will need a three-quarter recipe (a 3-egg-white meringue).
Basic Flaky Pie Crust for a 9½-inch tart shell (page 22), prebaked and still warm		12 ounces	340 grams
½ large egg white, lightly beaten	1 tablespoon	0.5 ounce	15 grams
1 recipe Classic Lemon Curd (page 568)	1 cup + 2½ tablespoons	11 ounces	312 grams
optional: one 8½- to 9-inch by - ¼-inch Light Sponge Cake Layer (page 583)		•	•
½ recipe Meringue for Piping (made with 2 egg whites; page 577) *	•	•	•