PECAN PIE
from Tujague's and The Camellia Grill

As I walk along and stumble, Trains rumble in my head. As I breathe along and grumble, I think about you instead.	And a piece of pecan pie And you, that's all I want. Just a piece of pecan pie. And all I want is you.	Sometimes I get so hungry I think about pie all day. Just a little whipped cream And honey, I'm on my way.	And a piece of pecan pie And you, that's all I want. Just a piece of pecan pie. And all I want is you.
-- Jeff Tweedy, "Pecan Pie"

Tujague's Pecan Pie

(Introduction by Malcolm Hébert)

"When the French settled in New Orleans they discovered the pecan. And they promptly made good use of it by creating pecan brittle, pecan pralines, pecan sauce and of course pecan pie. The first pecans I ever ate came from my Grandmother's pecan tree in her backyard. Every Christmas she would send a 50 pound gunny sack of pecans to my mother. My Grandmother's pecans were not those tasteless thin shelled kind; hers had thick shells with just as much shell as meat and 10 times more taste.

"This recipe for pecan pie is from my mother's uncle whose family owned Tujague's restaurant in New Orleans for more than 70 years."

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup dark corn syrup (e.g., Karo syrup)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons Armagnac or other brandy
• 1-1/2 cups pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a glass mixing bowl beat the eggs, blending in the sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, salt, Armagnac and pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until a wooden skewer or knife inserted into the pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 6-8.

(Many thanks to Christopher Hébert for providing the recipe.)

The Camellia Grill's Pecan Pie

The Camellia Grill's pecan pie is justifiably famous; oodles of 'em are eaten in-house at this beloved and venerable Uptown eatery, and they say they ship pies all over the country. They used to hand out a little card with the recipe, but they don't anymore. Here's what was on the card!

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1-1/4 cups light corn syrup
• 1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs with a wire whisk or fork. Add salt, butter, syrup, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.

Yield: One 9-inch pie.

 

desserts
creole and cajun recipe page | the gumbo pages
search this site

Chuck Taggart   email chuck (at) gumbopages (dot) com