It's ages I've been posting any good little things...Bad blogger, I know. Time is so quick and I've been busy studying for my Master Sommelier class, which I have recently finished. So, here I am, posting a pie I actually baked some months ago. Key Lime pie, a very easy cake with a king ingredient, that I really really love: Mr Lime. When I'm doing my grocery shopping I always look for limes in the fruit section. Even though I know I will not buy them, I'm happy to see those nice little green balls, waiting to make someone's recipe a success. Yes, citrus aurantifolia - that's the botanical name of lime - is so perfumed and fresh ...it gives me the idea of something extremely clean and wonderfully aromatic. If I had to match the color green with another color I would choose white: the colors of hope and peace, that's perfect harmony for me!
Lime is such a versatile ingredient, like lemon, but with a more exotic touch. Its origin is indeed in India and Malaysia and it is commonly used in Thai cuisine, as well as Vietnamese, Mexican and Latin American cuisines. It goes in main meals, soups, vinaigrettes, salsas, sauces, cakes, desserts, ice creams or sorbets. And not to forget, its role in cocktails, as one of the main ingredients of my favorite one, the worldwide beloved Mojito. If you are a wine lover like me, you will agree with this rule I recently read in a book: "Want to know the secret to pairing white wines? Think of a cool region wine with no oak on it- say, Sancerre, Pinot Grigio, or Tocai Friulano. Now, think of a lime. If you can put lime on your food, you can most likely pair it with an unoaked white wine".
Well, it's time to reveal the "secret" of my Key Lime pie...here's the recipe!
Key Lime pie
(this recipe is taken from the book Torte dolci e salate, KeyBook. Makes 6-8 servings)
To make the dough:
250 g white flour
125 g soft butter in little pieces
2 - 3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
To make the cream:
4 yolks
395 g condensed milk
125 ml lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
Start making the dough by adding a pinch of salt to the flour. Then add the butter and work till you get a compound similar to grated Parmesan. Make a fountain and add water little by little to reach the right consistency. Wrap the paste with film and let it rest for about half an hour in the fridge. To make the cream work all the ingredients with an electric whisk for two minutes till they are all mixed well. Roll out the dough and lay it on a buttered 23 cm cake mold and riddle the bottom with a fork. Pour the lime cream in and level it with a palette knife. Bake the cake at 180 C for about 20-25 minutes, then let it cool for two hours in the fridge. You can use a slice of lime to decorate it and serve it with icing sugar and whipped cream.
