When I was eleven we visited my grandparents in Barbados. One of my most striking memories of the trip was being offered a tall glass of lemonade and discovering a whole new taste. It turned out that Mama (my grandmother), made her lemonade with limes. The fragrant, zingy taste, tinged with a hint of coconut, captivated my taste buds and ever since then I’ve adored the little green lime.

The next day, Mama and I made a pitcher of lemonade together using limes from her tree in the garden. We picked the sun-warmed fruit from the tree, which grew beside the mango and custard-apple trees, then retreated to the relative cool of her small kitchen. We fell into a natural rhythm while chopping the limes, squeezing the green juice into the pitcher, adding a little water, and then slowly adding spoonfuls of sugar until it tasted just right.

We didn’t eat Lime Pie in Barbados, but I know its enjoyed throughout the Caribbean. Most often, though, you’ll see it as Key Lime Pie. The recipe which follows isn’t Key Lime Pie–for one thing, there’s no condensed milk, and secondly, the limes in Mama’s garden were Persian, so I’ve opted for a recipe which showcases those.

While the pie doesn’t cut prettily, it has a clean, fresh lime flavour which is perfect for summer.

Lime Pie

Adapted from “Caribbean Desserts” by John DeMeres.

Pie Crust
98g vegetable shortening e.g. Trex
160g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons cold water

In a food processor, blitz the fat into the flour and salt until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running trickle in water until a ball of dough forms.

Turn out onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a smooth ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 210C/Gas Mark 7.

Roll the dough out into an 11″ round. Line a 9″ pie dish, crimp the edges of the dough. Prick the dough with a fork, cover with a layer of tinfoil, fill with some baking beans.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden. Leave to cool while you make the filling.

Filling and topping

200g caster sugar plus 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons plain flour
3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
500ml cups boiling water
3 eggs, separated
185ml (3/4 cup) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
15g unsalted butter

Combine 200g sugar, flour, cornflour and salt in a large mixing bowl. You have two options for making the filling.

1. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, slowly pour the boiling water onto the sugar/flour mixture, stirring constantly. Cook, continuing to stir until the mixture thickens. Now, by thickens, the book really means a thick custard which leaves a thick visible trail when the spoon is removed. This will take a very long time. Continue to cook without stirring for 10 minutes to cook out the flour thoroughly.

2. Slowly add the boiling water to the sugar/flour mixture, stirring constantly. Cook the mixture in the microwave, using 30 second bursts, until thick. Cook for another 4 minutes.

Beat the egg yolks; stir a small amount of the custard into the yolks, then whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the the hot mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Do this either over the hot water or in the microwave. If in the microwave, stir ever 30 seconds or more frequently if you’re twitchy.

The mixture should now be very thick and gloriously yellow. It really does need to be thick as you’re about to dilute it with the lime juice.

Off the heat, stir in the lime juice, zest, and butter. Whisk thoroughly and pour into the pre-baked case.

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak then gradually add the sugar, continuing to whisk, until stiff shiny peaks form.

Pile the meringue over the filled pie, making sure to seal the edges well. Bake until the peaks brown and the pie is tinged gold all over.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until chilled. Once properly chilled the filling should be sliceable.