Egg pie

A deep custard tart with a browned top, baked hot then cool so it sets without splitting.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (butter), dairy (evaporated milk), dairy (whole milk).

Ingredients

pastry

• 250 g plain flour
• 140 g cold butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons ice-cold water

custard

• 4 eggs, plus 1 yolk
• 1 egg white, kept back
• 400 ml evaporated milk
• 200 ml whole milk
• 150 g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 0.25 teaspoon salt

Method

1. HOT THEN COOL, in two stages: 200C for 15 minutes to set the pastry and start the top, then down to 150C for 40 minutes to set the custard slowly. All the way hot and the custard boils, splits, and leaves a weeping crack across the middle; all the way cool and the base never crisps.
2. Pastry: rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt to coarse crumbs, bring together with the cold water, and chill 30 minutes. Handle it as little as possible.
3. Roll it out and line a 24 cm tin 4 cm deep, leaving the edge proud. Chill again 20 minutes.
4. Blind bake at 200C for 12 minutes with paper and beans, then 3 minutes without.
5. BRUSH THE HOT BASE WITH THE KEPT-BACK EGG WHITE and give it 2 minutes back in the oven. That seals the pastry, and without it a wet custard sitting on it for 40 minutes makes the base soggy.
6. Custard: whisk the eggs, extra yolk, sugar and salt, then the milks and vanilla. Whisk gently -- froth becomes bubbles on the finished top.
7. Strain it into the case through a sieve. Fill to 5 mm below the rim.
8. Bake 15 minutes at 200C, then turn down to 150C without opening the door, and give it 40 minutes more.
9. IT IS DONE WHEN THE EDGE IS SET AND THE MIDDLE STILL WOBBLES as one piece when you nudge the tin. Baked until firm all through, it will be rubbery once cold.
10. Cool completely in the tin, at least 3 hours. Cut warm, it runs.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes