Makes 6 to 8 servings

Active time: 10 min
Total time: 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

PREHEAT OVEN:

• Heat oven to 400°F.

PREPARE FILLING:

• Whisk sugar, cornmeal, salt, and eggs together in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
• Add milk and again whisk until smooth.
• Whisking gently, drizzle in melted butter and continue whisking until smooth.
• Add vinegar and vanilla and once again whisk until smooth.
• Center pie shell on a sturdy baking sheet and pour in filling.
• Finely grate about half of a nutmeg, preferably using a Microplane, evenly over filling.

BAKE PIE:

• Slide pie on baking sheet onto middle oven shelf and bake uncovered 10 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. and bake about 40 minutes longer until filling is golden brown and softly set. It should jiggle slightly when you nudge pie pan.

COOL AND SERVE PIE:

• Remove pie from oven and from baking sheet and set on wire rack.
• Cool at least 1 hour before cutting (chess pie should be served barely warm or at room temperature).
• Cut pie into slim wedges—it’s rich as all get-out.

COOKS’ NOTES

• If you use a frozen pie shell, choose a deep-dish one so the filling doesn’t boil over in the oven, thaw as directed, and re-crimp the crust into a high fluted edge. For added support, set unfilled pie shell—still in its flimsy tin—in a standard 9-inch pie pan. Then pour in filling.
• Although you can buy pre-ground nutmeg, it doesn’t begin to have the wonderful flavor of freshly grated, and it’s incredibly easy to grate at home.
• Like all chess pies, this one puffs dramatically as it bakes, then falls somewhat on cooling.
• Resist the temptation to top with whipped cream or ice cream “to cut the richness.” Southerners revel in the richness of chess pie and always eat it “straight up.”
• No need to refrigerate pie leftovers—if there are any. Sugar is a preservative and no chess pie ever lacks for sugar.