Pie-a-Day #30 – Corn Coconut

We’ve been on a pit of a pie-hiatus here for the last few days. That’s only intended to whet your appetite (okay, I’m also on vacation). But I’m back with my next creation:

Corn Coconut

It it sweet or savory? Depends on your point of view. I love sweet summer corn, but really didn’t feel like making a quiche, so I thought I would make something quiche-like but more pie-like. After making the Hoosier Pie and the Chess Pie I started to get more comfortable with the idea of custards as being a very variable filling. Even Dorie’s Butter Custard used to thicken fruit gallettes made me think. And then there’s coconut. I love coconut. Everyone around me has been clamoring for a Coconut Pie, but I wasn’t quite ready to do battle with cornstarch again quite yet so the idea came. Corn and Coconut…ummmm. I started by making a Corn Crust from James McNair’s book. I should have added a small handful of unsweetened dried coconut into the crust. Next time, actually I might use one of those crusts I’ve read about where you smash vanilla wafers and mix the crumbs with butter and coconut. An aside here. I agree with David Lebovitz that the phrase unsweetened dried coconut is too long and hereby vote for simply dried coconut to always mean the unsweetened kind. Let the people who use sweetened dried coconut have to add the extra word. Alright. To continue.I grated three pieces of sweet corn on a tear drop grater like I would if I were making fresh corn tamales or fresh corn polenta.(I was planning to use four cobs, but my Mom protested that “it was a waste”. She wanted it. Alrightythen. I added the aforementioned coconut and let them soak together with just enough sugar to bring out the sweetness of both. Then I added a pinch of salt just to confuse everyone. I took a can of coconut milk that had not been shaken and spooned the “head” of the coconut milk – the luscious fat part – into the corn mixture. Then I beat together a couple eggs, egg yolks and half – half (in basic quiche proportions) and added that mixture to the corn-coconut mixture. I think in the future I would try it with all coconut milk.I put the filling in the prebaked cornmeal crust and popped it in the oven. As soon as the top began to set I sprinkled more dry coconut on top. I let the pie bake until it was set. Wow! Totally delicious. Took a slice with me on the plane to Puerto Rico and everyone gave me the stinkeye.