Chef’s Surprise: Universally Known Nelllie & Joe’s Key Lime Pie!
“A few rules on good key lime pie: It should be yellow, not green. It should never have meringue on it, and it should always be in a graham cracker shell. A little whipped cream is allowed. And the obligatory lime garnish is silly, but everyone uses it,” explains Oregonian by way of Key West Florida Quilt Maker Subterra Restauranteur Executive Chef Martin Bleck.
This is the very pie Martin Bleck serves patrons, like me, in his wonderful Willamette Valley wine cellar restaurant.
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"You can play around with how sweet or tart you like it, and how much filling you like to use. I usually do the basic recipe times three to fill two pies, but that's all there is to it. And the recipe isn't specific to Nellie & Joe. [It] is just the universal recipe to key lime pie. If you try to fancy it up or add ingredients or make it gourmet you'll just end up with a lesser pie," Martin Bleck, Executive Chef, Subterra Restaurant.
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- 9 inch Pie Shelle Graham Cracker
- 14 oz Sweetend Condensed Milk
- 3 lg Eggs beaten
- 1/2 C Key West Lime Juice Nellie & Joe's!
- Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice, blend until smooth.
- Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350º for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.
- Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream, or meringue, and garnish with lime slices.