Recipe: Lemon-Lime Pie

In Miami, there’s a really special old restaurant called Joe’s Stone Crab. Here I had my first slice of Key lime pie. Their crab is marvellous, but it was the serving of pie that got stuck on repeat in my mind. So much so that the very next night I had to go back for another slice. Because Miami is a long way from Melbourne, when I got home, I started developing my own recipe based on the memory.

In Australia, we seldom see Key limes, so to substitute I’ve combined both lime and lemon juice. I found straight lime juice too sweet by itself. If you live near a supply of fresh Key limes, I’d use those instead, in the same quantity as the combined measure of both the lime and lemon juices.

This recipe is very simple, but it needs four hours in the freezer before being served. It can be made the day before and holds up really well when kept in the freezer in an airtight container. Don’t be tempted to use bottled juice – squeezing your own on the day is the only way to get the signature bright citrus sparkle.

1.     Grease and line a 23cm cake tin on the bottom and sides with baking paper.

2.     Place the ginger biscuits in a food processor and process until they are the texture of fine breadcrumbs.

3.     Place ground biscuits and toasted coconut in a bowl and add melted butter. Mix thoroughly until completely combined.

4.     Evenly spread biscuit mix across the bottom of your lined cake tin. Press down firmly but not too firm. The pie is best when the base is ever so slightly crumbly.

5.     Quarter fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and heat over a medium heat on the stove. The temperature should be just below a simmer.

6.     In a bowl slightly larger than the saucepan, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk well. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and whisk vigorously and continuously for about four minutes, until the mixture is pale and creamy.

7.     Pour condensed milk into a separate bowl, then add egg yolk-sugar mixture and whisk until well combined. While whisking, add citrus juices and zest. Whisk until smooth and thick.

8.     Pour filling into the cake tin and smooth the top using a palette knife or spatula.

9.     Place in freezer and freeze for a minimum of four hours before cutting and serving.

10.  To serve, carefully remove pie from cake tin and baking paper. Dip a large knife in hot water, dry, then cut into portions, cleaning, then dipping into hot water with each cut. Place on plates and pipe or dollop on some whipped cream. Eat immediately.