American Cuisine 01: Southern Pecan Praline Pie

This is the first in a series of American recipes. Unfortunately, American cuisine is very much misunderstood in France; it definitely isn't McDonalds!! Hopefully this blog will help remedy these misconceptions.

In this first edition of American Cuisine you'll find the recipe for pecan praline pie, a true modern Southern tradition. Particularly in the South but throughout the United States, this pie often figures on the Thanksgiving dinner table along with the traditional pumpkin pie.

According to tradition, the French settlers in New Orleans invented this dessert after the Native Americans introduced them to the local pecan nuts. However, the process for refining corn sugar into syrup, an essential ingredient in pecan pie, wasn't developed until the 1880's refuting this tradition. In fact, research done to trace the origins of this pie found that no cookbook dating before 1925 has any mention of this recipe. The company Karo is primarily responsible for the popularity of pecan pie. Karo was and still is the maker of corn syrup and promoted this pie as a 1930's "discovery" of a "new use for corn syrup." In some areas of the Deep South, pecan pie is sometimes still called Karo pie.

Unfortunately corn syrup is very difficult to find in France but if you click on corn syrup above, you'll find a link to a French organic foods site that sells, albeit very expensive, corn syrup.

SOUTHERN PECAN PRALINE PIEChopping the pecans with a knife will produce a fine dust that can could cloud the pie. Instead, use a rolling pin to gently break the pecans into small 1.5 cm pieces. Be sure to remove the pie from the oven when the center is set but still wobbly; residual heat will finish the job.Dough (la pâte)157 grams all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (la vergeoise)1/2 teaspoon salt113g unsalted butter, cut into 0.5cm pieces and chilled3 to 4 tablespoons ice waterFilling (la garniture)113 grams unsalted butter, cut into 2.5cm pieces150 grams packed dark brown sugar1 teaspoon salt3 large eggs180 milliliters dark corn syrup (le sirop de maïs)1 tablespoon vanilla extract2 tablespoons bourbon whisky300 grams whole pecans, toasted, cooled and broken into small pieces.

1. For the dough: Pulse the flour, brown sugar and salt in food processor until blended. Add butter and pulse until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, ten to fifteen 1-second pulses. (To do this by hand, grate frozen butter into flour using large holes of box grater, then rub flour-coated pieces between your fingers until flour turns pale yellow and coarse.) Turn mixture into medium bowl.
2. Using rubber spatula, fold 3 tablespoons water into flour mixture, then press against side of bowl (if mixture doesn't hold together, add up to 1 more tablespoon water). Squeeze dough together and flatten into disk. Dust with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before rolling.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand until dough is malleable enough to roll out but still cool, 10 to 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 190°C. Roll dough on lightly floured surface into a 30cm circle. Roll dough over pin and unroll it evenly into 22cm Pyrex pie plate. Fit dough into pie plate and flute edges. Refrigerate for 40 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes.
4. Line pie shell with two 30cm pieces of aluminum foil, fitting foil so that it hangs over edges of crust. Distribute 2 cups pie weights over foil, then bake until dough under foil dries out, 20 to 25 minutes. carefully remove foil and weights, then continue to bake until crust is firmly set and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pie shell from oven and set aside. (Shell can be cooled, wrapped tightly in plastic, and stored at room temperature for 1 day.)
5. For the filling: Lower oven to temperature to 135°C. Place pie shell in oven if not still warm.
6. Cook butter, brown sugar, and salt together in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is melted and butter is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, one at a time; whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, and bourbon. Return pan to medium heat and stir constantly until mixture is glossy and warm to touch, about 4 minutes. (Do not overheat; remove pan from heat if mixture starts to steam or bubble. Temperature should be about 55°C.) Remove pan from heat and stir in pecans.
7. Pour mixture into warm shell and bake until center feels set yet soft, like gelatin, when gently pressed, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack, at least 4 hours. (Pie can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.) Serve pie at room temperature (or warm it briefly in oven), topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

AFTER-HOURS SOUTHERN PECAN PRALINE PIEThe extra bourbon in this pie will please the adults of the table.

• Add 2 more tablespoons bourbon to pie along with pecans in step 6. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Recipe taken from Cook's Country October/November 2005 magazine.