Page 109 - United States of Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon meringue pie is a classic, but it has always seemed a
shame to me that one of the main ingredients in the filling is water. I
want my pie fillings to be rich, full of flavor, and creamy, not watery
and gloppy. To that end, I substitute milk for the water. The milk
imparts a lovely creaminess while the lemon maintains a tart punch.

Some of you are probably wondering if the lemon juice will curdle the
milk. I promise that it won’t. When scalded and then mixed with the
lemon juice, egg yolk, and cornstarch—the basis for the custard—
the mixture does its magic and makes a sumptuous custard. I
suppose that this pie is actually a reimagined classic. Some may
want to rename it “Creamy Lemon Meringue Pie,” but I just call it
delicious.

½ recipe Standard Pie Dough or Sour Cream Pie Dough

For the filling
2 cups whole milk
2 /3 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice (from approximately 4 lemons)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from approximately 2
lemons)

¼ cup cornstarch
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the meringue
4 large egg whites, at room temperature