Page 306 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

the crust with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and
bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment and
bake the crust for 5 to 10 minutes more, just until the raw-dough

sheen goes away. Set the crust aside.

Procedure for the filling
1
. Bring the chicken broth, Cajun spice, cayenne, and butter to a boil
in a large saucepan. Stir in the grits and whisk until combined.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grits thicken, 8 to 10
minutes.

2
. Peel the potato, place it in a small saucepan filled with water, and
boil until it is fork-tender. Cool the potato and cut it into ½-inch (12-

mm) cubes.
3
. Add the cheddar, cream, bell pepper, jalapeño, corn, andouille, and

potato to the grits and stir until combined.
4

. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs to break them up and stir them into
the grits. Test the seasoning and add salt to taste. Add the shrimp,
stirring gently to distribute them evenly.
5

. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes,
or until the custard is set.

A NOTE FROM THE SWEETIE PIE
“Fork-tender” is literal when it comes to testing the doneness of a
potato. You use a fork to determine whether the flesh is tender

because it takes some doing to get the fork through the skin into
the middle. Now, if you use a paring knife or any other sharp knife,
it will easily slip straight through into the meat whether the potato
is actually fully tender or not. You’re likely to have a false reading!
So stick a fork in it, not a knife, to judge whether your potato is

done.