Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe

Have you even lived if you haven’t tried Atlantic Beach Pie? We think not! In celebration of National Pie Day, we'd like to share a little of the history of this famous pie along with the recipe, if you are so inclined to try it for yourself...you will not regret it! This delicious citrus pie is just the right mix of salty and sweet, and it’s not too heavy to eat after a delicious meal on the Crystal Coast.

Based on an excerpt and recipe published in Our State Magazine.

When Chef Bill Smith was growing up, he was told he could not eat dessert after eating fish or it would make him sick. With the exception of lemon pie, of course. He guessed it had something to do with the flavors of lemon and fish pairing well together.  Although, it was not just the lemon that was appealing to Chef Smith, but also the salty, flaky cracker crust. This unique crust distinguished this pie from other pies that are traditionally made with sweet crusts. 

In 2011, a group of hungry chefs and food writers from the Southern Foodways Alliance were visiting Chef Smith at his home turf in eastern North Carolina. Chef Smith, a New Bern native, served the group some of his pie using a recipe he conjured up based on research from old community cookbooks and memories of his childhood in the 1950s. They loved it!

Chef Smith then started serving the pie in his Chapel Hill restaurant, Crooks Corner, and the recipe took off. The citrus, cracker crust pie became a sensation and rightfully so! When making this pie at home, we recommend using fresh juices in the filling and sprinkling the top (as Chef Bill Smith does) with a final flourish of sea salt.

Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe

For the crust:

- 1½ sleeves of Saltine crackers (finely crushed)

- ½ cup salted butter (softened)

- 3 Tbsp. sugar

For the filling:

- 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

- 4 egg yolks

- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (reserve the zest)

- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (reserve the zest)

- Fresh whipped cream

- Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.    In a medium bowl, combine the crushed crackers and sugar. Then, knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough.

3.    Press the cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

4.    Bake the crust for 13-15 minutes or until it turns golden brown. After baking, remove the crust from the oven and set aside.

5.    While the crust is cooling (it doesn’t have to cool down completely), beat the egg yolks and add the condensed milk. Stir in the citrus juices, and whisk until well combined.

6.    Pour the filling into the pre-baked shell. Bake the whole pie for 15-18 minutes or until the filling is set.

7.    Remove the pie and allow it to cool completely. Then, refrigerate the pie until it is cold (at least four hours).

8.    To serve, top with whipped cream (or meringue) and sprinkle with sea salt and a little lemon/lime zest.

Enjoy!