Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Nick Brune's Buttermilk Pie


Let's call this part 2 of my time with Chef Nick Brune of revamped Cali-Creole restaurant Local Habit in Hillcrest. This is when he showed me how he makes his version of the classic Southern buttermilk pie. Now many of us in Southern California would probably raise an eyebrow; what is a buttermilk pie? But the name says it all--a custard pie featuring buttermilk. Some recipes call for lemon zest. Others mostly keep the flavoring to vanilla. And, in fact, that's what Brune does. It's a year-round pie, but this time of year with berries coming into season, it's perfect topped with fruit and accompanied by a berry puree.

The recipe here is just for the filling. You can bake the pie shell using your favorite recipe or even pick up a pre-made crust at the market. Just be sure you pre-bake it. Here are some pie crust recipes I've shared with you in the past:

http://www.sandiegofoodstuff.com/2014/08/chocolate-cream-pie-with-tough-culinary.html
http://www.sandiegofoodstuff.com/2011/11/pie-making-with-rachel-caygill-of.html
http://www.sandiegofoodstuff.com/2011/11/easy-stunning-apple-pie-la-coulon.html

So, let's get on with the recipe--super easy, very creamy, very luscious, and a great dessert to have in your back pocket when you are the point person for a sweet dish for a dinner party.

Buttermilk Pie
From Nick Brune
(printable recipe)
Serves 8

Ingredients

2 beaten eggs and 3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
4 teaspoons flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
1 basic pie crust, pre-baked

Preheat oven to 375˚.

In the bowl of a stand mixer add eggs and sugar. Whip until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns pale yellow.


Add melted butter, then small amounts of flour and buttermilk, alternating until you've added all. Add the vanilla and pinch of salt. The mixture will be loose.

Pour custard into pre-baked pie shell. Bake 30 minutes. The top will be a little brown and have a bit of a jiggle to it.


Let cool and then refrigerate for four hours to overnight. This will thicken the custard.

Serve with fruit.





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