PACIFIC COAST PIE

Atlantic Beach Pie hails from the coast of the Carolinas, where local lore once held that eating a non-citrus dessert after a meal of seafood could result in grave illness. Its key components are a craggy saltine crust, an aggressively sweet-tart lemon filling, and clouds of salted whipped cream that calm the storm below. In 2011 chef Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill gave it a name and wrote down the recipe. An instant classic was born.

Pacific Coast Pie is a complete fabrication, a direct ripoff of Atlantic Beach Pie. It’s served up and down the Pacific Coast Pieway, which is imaginary. What makes it Pacific is the addition of crystallized ginger to the sea-salt topping and the use of lime juice instead of lemon (mix them at your own peril). Regional pedants will delight in choosing Oregon-based Jacobsen sea salt for the topping. Really, any flaky salt with crunch will do. Apply it generously, like you’re making a margarita.

In the forest of the Olympic Peninsula, a short walk from the rocky tidal flats of Hood Canal.

The timberlands of the Hama Hama Company: March 12, 2022.

• The basic idea

  Crush saltine crackers and blend with butter and sugar to form a crust. Chill then blind bake at 350 degrees F until golden. Make a custard by blending egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk, then whisking in lime (or lemon) juice. Pour into shell and bake briefly until set. Top with unsweetened whipped cream, chopped crystallized ginger and flaky sea salt.

• Ingredient list

  Serves 8-12 (one 8-9” inch pie)

  Takes about 4 hours from start to finish (most of which is letting the pie cool in the fridge)

  • 1 sleeve of saltine crackers (about 36) to make about 1 1/2 cups when finely crushed

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 1/2 cup lime (or lemon) juice

  • about 1 cup heavy whipping cream

  • chopped crystallized ginger and flaky sea salt to garnish, plus optional lime zest

• Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. Finely crush one sleeve of saltines (about 36 crackers) by hand or in a food processor. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.

  3. Add 6 tablespoons softened butter and 3 tablespoons sugar to the saltine crumbs and blend by hand until thoroughly mixed.

  4. Press the crumbs into an 8-9 inch pie plate and chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.

  5. Bake the empty crust until golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove to let cool and leave the oven on while preparing the filling.

  6. Whisk 4 egg yolks and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth.

  7. Whisk in 1/2 cup lime (or lemon) juice; the mixture should thicken slightly. (Zest the citrus before squeezing if you’d like to use some zest for garnish.)

  8. Pour the filling into the pie shell and return it to the hot oven until the custard is just set, 16 minutes.

  9. Let the pie cool slightly at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill until completely cold.

  10. Whip about 1 cup heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and dollop it over pie.

  11. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger and a generous amount of flaky sea salt. Citrus zest is a nice touch as well.