Satsuma Pie

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

• 140g (9 crackers, or one pouch) Graham Crackers
• 20g (5t) Granulated Sugar
• 3g (½t) Kosher Salt
• 85g (6T) Unsalted Butter

Filling:

• 180g (¾-cup, or about 3-4 Satsumas) Satsuma Juice
• 400g (1 can) Condensed Milk
• 5 large Egg Yolks
• 6g (1T) Satsuma Zest (optional)

Whipped Cream:

• 240g (1 cup) Heavy Whipping Cream
• 35g (about 4T) Confectioner’s Sugar

Other Essentials:

• Citric Acid
• pH Test Strips, range 0-14

Procedure

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). In a food processor, crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Add the sugar and salt, and pulse until combined. Remove the contents into a small bowl.
• In a small saucepan on low flame (or in the microwave), melt the butter and pour onto the cracker crumbs. Mix until the crumbs are evenly coated.
• Press the ground graham crackers into the pie pan, spreading it evenly to make a secure crust.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the pie shell.
• Squeeze the juice into a small bowl and strain through a sieve. Take a test strip and measure the pH. Add ¼t of citric acid into the juice and mix thoroughly. Test the pH again. Continue adding citric acid into the juice, ¼t at a time, until the pH is between 2-3.
• Mix together all of the filling ingredients and pour into the cooled pie shell.
• Bake for 15 minutes, or until the custard is set. Cool and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before eating.
• Right before serving, make whipped cream with heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks.
• Pipe rosettes onto the top of the pie, or serve the cream on the side.

*Bunny Wisdom*

• Try not to make a powder with the graham crackers. Keep the crackers crumbly.
• Pre-baking the shell for 8 minutes allows the crust to get some color and keep its shape.
• If 5 yolks are too much for you, decrease the yolks to 3 or 4. The more yolks, the creamier and richer the texture.
• I added a total of 1t citric acid into the juice. You may end up using more or less citric acid to bring your satsuma juice to the right pH level.
• Be sure to strain the satsuma juice through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the pulp.
• You will notice that the mix of yolks, juice, and milk will thicken naturally. That’s the citrus and the milk. Don’t worry, your mix is doing what it’s supposed to do.
• The short baking time is only to cook the yolks in the filling. Don’t over-bake.
• Make whipped cream, or, to make it more decadent and billowy, make some French meringue and brown the top with a torch or broiler. To make French meringue: whisk 3 egg whites with 100g (½-cup) of granulated sugar (add a pinch of cream of tartar, if you choose). Gradually add the sugar in as the whites are whisking. Stop mixing when the meringue is stiff and glossy, and the sugar is all incorporated. Spoon, spread, and torch!