Deep Dish Sweet Potato–Pecan Pie

Jacques Leonardi

Jacques-Imo’s - New Orleans

A cook at Jacques-Imo’s told us that this two-in-one pie has been taken off the menu, in part because, “everyone serves it here”—here being New Orleans. We’d never encountered it before Jacques-Imo’s served it at the Beard House, and we fell in love at first bite. Pecans and sweet potato pie, we discovered, live in perfect harmony: the subtle sweet potato custard tempers the usually saccharine pecan layer, and the textural contrast works well, too. In its deep springform crust, this is one impressive-looking pie.

Yield

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • Sweet Potato Layer:

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (2 to 3)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch salt

  • Pecan Layer:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces), melted and cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted*
  • Dough for a 10-inch pie crust
  • Ice cream or whipped cream, optional

Method

To prepare the shell, roll the pie dough and use it to line a 9-inch springform pan, molding the crust 2 inches up the sides. Let the shell rest in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Line the pie shell with buttered tinfoil; fill with pie beans; blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake 5 more minutes until golden. Remove pie shell from oven. Cool.

To make the sweet potato layer, roast the potatoes at 425ºF until tender when pierced by a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely, and peel. Mash the pulp in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.

To prepare the pecan layer, whisk the eggs, then add remaining ingredients except pecans. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

To assemble the pie, spread the sweet potato layer in the cooled pie shell. Cover with the pecans. Gently pour the egg-corn syrup mixture over the nuts. Bake for about 70 minutes until the pie shell is golden brown and filling is almost set. The filling should wiggle very slightly. It will continue cooking—and firm up—after you remove it from the oven.

Serve barely warm or chilled with whipped cream or ice cream.

https://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/deep-dish-sweet-potatopecan-pie