By Derby weekend. Derby pie. Same recipe, same ritual. Went to watch the race at Travis and Jolene's apartment — Earl Thomas, almost three, watched the horses on television and pointed and yelled horsie every time one ran past the camera, which was constantly, which meant he yelled horsie approximately four hundred times in two minutes and everyone in the room loved it because a child yelling horsie at a horse race is the purest form of sports commentary.
The tomatoes are growing. Knee-high, staked, flowering. The peppers behind them. The cucumbers sprawling. The herbs thick and green. The garden is a small farm now, a postage stamp of abundance, and I tend it every morning after the walk, the two routines back-to-back — walk the neighborhood, tend the garden, eat breakfast, live the day. The routine is the infrastructure of a retired life. Without it, the days would collapse into formlessness, and formlessness is the enemy of a man who spent thirty-six years getting up at the same time and going to the same place, and the garden is my place now, the place I go.
Derby pie is tradition, and tradition is the whole point — but this year I made a lemon custard pie, because the lemons on the counter were ripe and insistent and the garden has taught me to use what’s ready. It has the same spirit as every Derby pie I’ve ever brought to a watch party: smooth, unhurried, something you slice and set on a table and let people find on their own. Earl Thomas did not eat any pie, but he yelled horsie forty more times while I was cutting it, and that felt like the right blessing for any dish.
Lemon Custard Pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Place the unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
- Beat the eggs. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth and slightly frothy, about 1 minute.
- Add sugar and butter. Whisk in the granulated sugar and melted butter until fully combined.
- Incorporate dry ingredients. Add the flour and salt, whisking until no lumps remain.
- Add lemon and milk. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until the custard filling is smooth and uniform.
- Pour and bake. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the custard is set at the edges but has just a slight jiggle at the center.
- Cool completely. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The custard will firm up as it cools.
- Serve. Slice and serve at room temperature or chilled. A dollop of whipped cream alongside is welcome but not required.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 180mg