Eyes On The Pies – Bergamot Meringue Pie

Originally posted on February 25, 2015

My favorite citrus fruit, the bergamot orange, is still circulating the in Bay Area markets, so here’s an idea of what to do with these tart and floral little gems: put them in a pie!

The sourness of a bergamot orange is on par with that of a lemon, so bergamot juice lends itself perfectly to substitutions in any recipe that calls for lemon juice. So pull out your personal favorite lemon curd and pie dough recipes and let’s make a bergamot meringue pie!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while making, filling and topping your pie:

• When baking the pie crust, make sure that it’s not under baked. Unlike pecan pie, in which the crust is par-baked first, filled with tasty pecan goo and re-baked, this pie crust will not go back into the oven until it’s time to toast the meringue. Prevent your pie from sogginess by making sure that the crust is a nice golden brown along the outer edges and the inside.
• Keep a spare clean pie tin handy in case the tin your buttery crust is baked in gets too greasy. The extra tin will also give your finished pie more support while it’s being moved around and cut into.
• Use the best ingredients available to you. The basic ingredients most citrus curd recipes call for include citrus juice, grated citrus zest, sugar, whole eggs or egg yolks, and butter. Because there are so few ingredients, each of their individual flavors will leave a big impact on your dessert.  Make sure that your fruit is fresh and washed, your eggs are new and odorless, and you use unsalted sweet cream butter. 
• If your pie crust is already baked and cooled when you make the curd, you can strain it directly into the waiting crust. Cover the surface of the strained curd with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to top it with meringue so it doesn't form a skin on top.
• Meringue is porous and easily picks up other flavors when refrigerated, so be certain to have a box prepared to store your pie in after you’ve topped it, then seal the box up well with plastic wrap. A cake carrier is another good way to store your pie in the refrigerator, if space allows.

Keep those tips in mind and you’re set up with a recipe for success! Go forth, bake, eat and enjoy the fantastic produce of the season while it lasts. What are you waiting for? This is truly as easy (and delicious) as pie.

Do you have questions about pie making? Leave them in the comments and I’ll answer them!