Published May 1, 1999.
We wanted our custard pie recipe to produce a pie with a crisp crust and a tender yet flavorful filling, and we set out to find a foolproof cooking method. For the custard, we used a combination of milk and heavy cream, thickened with three whole eggs and cornstarch and flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. To avoid overcooked custard at the edges of the pie, we cooked our filling in a saucepan until it thickened and then poured the hot filling into a hot, prebaked pie crust.
For a flaky and tender pie pastry with detailed instructions on how to prebake it, see the related recipe. The prebaked pie shell can be made ahead, but it should be heated in a 375-degree oven until hot, about 5 minutes, before the custard filling is poured into it. Or, if you prefer to prebake the pie shell and make the pie in one continuous process, begin heating the milk and cream for the custard when the foil and pie weights are removed; the filling should be ready at the same time as the shell is ready to be filled. (The oven rack position and temperature for prebaking the pie shell remain the same for the filled pie.) It is a given: Your pie shell will shrink as it bakes. With minimal shrinkage, all the custard will fit into the shell, but if you experience more severe shrinkage you will have some leftover filling.
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