Best Shaker Lemon Pie

Shaker lemon pie is one of the great American oddities, and it has only four ingredients: lemons, sugar, eggs, and pastry. What makes it remarkable is that the whole lemon goes into the pie. Rind, pith, flesh, and all. Sliced paper-thin and macerated in sugar for at least two hours before mixing with beaten eggs and baking under a double crust.

The maceration is the magic. Two hours under sugar (some cooks go overnight) draws out the lemon’s bitter oils from the pith and tames the rind into something tender, candied, and intensely citrusy. Skip this step and the pie tastes like you’re eating a lemon peel; do it properly and you get an electric, marmalade-like filling that’s tart, sweet, and lightly chewy in the same bite.

The eggs go in last and turn the lemon-sugar slurry into a soft custard. As the pie bakes, the eggs set around the lemon slices, holding everything in suspension and giving the slices the dappled, jewel-like appearance they’re famous for when you cut into the finished pie.

The two-stage bake is the technique. High heat at the start sets the bottom crust before the wet filling can soak in; moderate heat for the rest cooks the eggs gently and finishes browning the top. Skip either stage and you get either a soggy bottom or a curdled custard.

This is a polarizing pie. People who love it really love it. Plan accordingly.

Pro Tips

• Slice the lemons paper-thin on a mandoline. Thick slices stay tough even after maceration.
• Use Meyer lemons if you can find them. They’re sweeter and the rind is less bitter, which produces a milder pie that tends to win over skeptics.
• Macerate longer than the recipe minimum if you have the time. Overnight in the fridge is even better than two hours.
• Cut steam vents in the top crust before baking. Sealed pies build pressure and erupt through the seams.

Variations

• Use a mix of lemons and oranges for a sweeter, less aggressive citrus pie.
• Add a tablespoon of grated ginger to the maceration for warmth.
• Lattice the top crust instead of solid for a prettier finish that exposes the lemon slices below.