Fresh, citrusy grapefruit and fragrant basil shine in this unusual but delicious pie. For a simpler version, serve with plain whipped cream instead, or top each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Grapefruit Curd Pie with Basil Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1 round basic pie dough
- 5 eggs plus 7 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups (12 oz./375 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) cornstarch
- 1 tsp. grated grapefruit zest
- 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) fresh grapefruit juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) heavy cream
- 3 Tbs. sugar
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) fresh basil leaves
Directions
1. Fit the dough round into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie dish. Trim the overhang to 1/2 inch (12 mm), fold the edge under itself and decoratively flute or crimp. Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
3. Line the crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, and cook completely, about 20 minutes longer. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
4. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, grapefruit zest and juice, lemon juice and salt. Stir constantly until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium and stir constantly until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Add the butter and pepper (if using) and stir until the butter is melted. Let cool to room temperature. Spread the filling over the crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the cream and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the cream is steaming, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the basil leaves. Let steep for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the basil. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream on low speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Pipe or spoon the cream over the pie. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight before serving. Serves 8 to 10.
For this and more than 35 ideas for sweet and savory pies, check out The Pie Cookbook, our all-inclusive guide to making pies by the cooks of the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen.
5 comments
This is a terrible recipe. Too many eggs. Too much cornstarch. Does not say to slowly increase heat, making it likely your curd will turn into scrambled eggs.
this certainly looks different, have never ventured into grapefruit deserts! Like the idea of sweet sour combination though, thank you
The recipe is missing a step. What happens with the basil. Is it chopped and placed in the whipped cream before whipping?
Yes. After steeping, sieve out the basil before chilling and then whipping.