Recipe: Pecan Pie

Dusky Goose Sommelier, Eric Shivey, says pairing dry wines with slightly sweet foods can be tricky, but if you get it right, the results can really sing! He encourages choosing a nuanced red wine with layers of flavor to match the richness of the pie.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust, homemade or store-bought
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, divided
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup packed coconut sugar (or packed brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons bourbon*
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups (one 10-ounce bag) pecan halves

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat oven to 400°F 
• Chill the unbaked pie crust for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Use parchment paper to line the inside of the chilled crust, shaping it gently around the inner edges to form a mold of the crust.
• Fill the bottom of the crust with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes
• Remove the pie pan from the oven, carefully lift out the parchment and weights, and set them aside.
• Decrease the oven heat to 350°F
• Prepare the maple sauce by whisking three eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar (or brown sugar), bourbon, cornstarch, vanilla, sea salt, and ground cinnamon.
• Add the melted butter and quickly whisk in until combined.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and an extra tablespoon of milk (or water). Brush the egg wash lightly over the edges of the pie crust.
• Assemble the pie by arranging the pecans in an even layer in the pie crust and pouring the maple sauce evenly over the top of the pecans.
• Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 to 25 minutes of baking time, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the whole pie if the crust or pecans seem to be browning too quickly.
• Once the top is puffed up into a dome (which will sink to become flat again once the pie has set and cooled), it will be ready to remove from the oven.
• Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it rest until it reaches room temperature.

PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS:

Wine characteristics – A medium-bodied, aged red wine featuring a complex flavor profile that can only evolve over an extended period of time in the bottle. Developing fruit flavors and lifting acidity in the wine play against the decadent texture of the pie to create a sublime pairing experience.

• Dusky Goose 2014 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir:  A warm vintage and 10 years of gentle aging have produced an extremely nuanced wine with the right amount of fruit development and acidity to partner with the pecan pie.
• Résonance 2017 Découverte Pinot Noir: Produced from a single vineyard planted in 1996, this opulent wine oozes with spicy berry and dried fig flavors, propped up by vanilla and cedar notes from the French oak barrel aging.