Why not make a delicious custard base from one of the world’s best fruits and then top it with a delightful, airy meringue? Mango meringue pie is a perfect combination, if you ask me. Buy frozen mangos or use fresh ones when they’re in season and readily available.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (from 4 to 5 whole fruits) mango, fresh or frozen, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
- 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) super fine granulated sugar|
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- Cinnamon-butter pie crust bottom crust only, blind baked for a custard filling
- 1 recipe uncooked or cooked meringue
Directions:
- Combine the mango chunks and sugar in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring the mixture to a light simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool.
- Transfer the mango and its juices to a deep mixing bowl and purée them using a stick blender or blender. Measure out 1½ cups of purée and return it to the same saucepan. Reserve any remaining puree for another use.
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, and butter to the pot and whisk to blend over medium heat. Continue whisking gently and constantly until slow-forming bubbles appear and release a lot of steam.
- If desired, strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve and allow it to cool.
- Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Cover the pie with plastic film placed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the meringue of your choice.
- When the pie is fully chilled, top it with uncooked meringue and toast it in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes or top it with Cooked Meringue and toast it with a kitchen torch.
Reproduced with permission from Pie Love (2013, Stewart, Tabori & Chang). Photos by Joshua Cogan
