It was one of those happy accidents. I came across this great looking pie set on a table at North Haven’s Saturday morning farmer’s market. As dessert after dinner that evening we all gasped over how incredibly delicious it was. This was lemon pie fit for exultation.

The pie was made by Grace Mortellaro who is a summer intern at Doug Record’s Sheep Meadow Farm on North Haven, known for its pasture-raised lamb. Mortellaro, who’s studying at Cornell University’s college of agriculture and life sciences, told me that the recipe came from her aunt.

The lemon pie at the Sheep Meadow Farm’s table at North Haven Farmer’s Market North Hav

Once I saw the recipe I realized that it was the classic Shaker lemon pie, a method where lemon slices are steeped in sugar overnight and mixed with eggs to form the uncooked custard. The resulting filling is very sweet and rich.

I researched my files and found that all recipes for this pie are basically the same. It’s best to use thin skinned lemons, which should be washed well. In testing the recipe I mistakenly selected organic lemons, which have thicker skins. Of the two lemons, one is sliced very thinly with the skin and pith unpeeled and the other lemon is peeled, including the pith. You’ll need a sharp knife for this. Mortellaro recommended using an electric knife. A sharp paring knife worked well.

I’ve adapted the recipe here using a very flaky pastry dough instead of a classic pâte brisée.

It’s a great pie, and leave it to the Shakers to devise something so simple yet wonderful.

Note: for flaky pie recipe see July 21 post

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North Haven Lemon Pie

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • Double-crust flaky pastry (see July 21 post for recipe)
  • 2 lemons, washed well
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar

Instructions

  1. Slice the first lemon very thin and set aside. Peel the second lemon, including the pith and slice very thin.
  2. Put into a bowl with the sugar and stir to combine. Let rest at room temperature for 3 hours, stirring frequently until the sugar basically melts. Then refrigerate overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  4. When ready to prepare, remove lemon mixture from refrigerator. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to lemon mixture, stirring well until thoroughly combined.
  5. Roll out the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Add the lemon filling. Top with the second crust, trimming and folding the overhang and pinching to form a decorative border. Make 4 to 6 slits in pie for steam to escape. Brush the top lightly with the cream and sprinkle with the sugar.
  6. Remove to a rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before serving. A dollop of whipped cream is a nice accompaniment for each slice.
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