Sour Orange Pie

Sour Orange Pie

I am from North Florida. Our food is a mixture of the old South, locally sourced food (seafood and citrus) and Asian and Caribbean influences brought here by waves of immigrants. This uniquely regional fare is known as Floribbean Cuisine.

Sour Orange Pie is one such dish. Sour oranges or bitter oranges like the Seville are generally used to make marmalade. They were brought here by the Spanish and can now be found growing wild throughout the state. They are too sour to eat on their own but can be used in place of lemons.

Sour Oranges aren’t available in other places. So, if you want to taste a real Sour Orange Pie you are going to need to visit Florida. Or you can make this very good substitute. I read a million recipes and tweaked one I found on America’s Test Kitchen. I didn’t think their pie was ‘orange-y’ enough. This is very simple and tastes better the next day. Instead of grated orange zest, I used Spice Island Orange Peel. I like having it on hand to mix into seafood dishes.

Servings:  8

Time:  Prep: 20 minutes, active time: 15-20 minutes, allow to rest at least 2 hours, preferably overnight

Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a can opener, a zester, a mixer, a large mixing bowl, a rubber spatula

Ingredients:

• A pre-made shortbread pie crust
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 tablespoons thawed, frozen orange juice concentrate
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 6 drops of yellow food coloring and 2 drops of red (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• Whipped cream for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚
2. Separate the eggs. Save the whites for something else. Zest the orange.
3. Mix all ingredients (but the whipped cream) in the large mixing bowl until fully combined. Pour the filling into the crust.
4. Bake the pie until the center jiggles slightly when shaken, 15 to 20 minutes. When you gently touch the very center, the pie should stick to your finger and dimple, like pudding. Let the pie cool completely.
5. Refrigerate the pie until fully chilled. Do not refrigerate until the pie is fully cooled or it will sweat and ruin the pie. I find it is better the next day.