I’m crazy for grapefruit in any form. This pie is a burst of glorious, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice made into a curd, plopped inside a buttery crust, and topped with a heaping mound of meringue.
Makes one 9-inch single-crust pie
Difficulty: Medium
Make Ahead and Storage: The pie, sans meringue, can be made ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered, for up to 1 day. Once the meringue is added, it’s best to serve the pie the same day.
1. Make the filling: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch, then add the cornstarch mixture to the pan, along with the grapefruit juice and egg yolks. Turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula (be sure to get into the edges of the pot), until the curd thickens and comes to a first boil (a single large bubble comes up to the surface in the center), 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into the cooled piecrust. Cover the pie with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the curd and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
3. Make the meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high speed until they reach soft peaks. Still on medium-high speed, gradually add the sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue whipping until the meringue holds medium peaks.
4. Dollop the meringue onto the center of the chilled pie. Use a small offset spatula to push the meringue out toward the edges, but maintain a mound in the middle. A few swirls always look nice too. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue all over.
✻ Why It Works
Glazing the parbaked crust with egg wash before the final bake helps protect it from sopping up moisture from the filling. Toasting the meringue with a torch instead of in the oven help keeps it better adhered to the curd—no slippery meringue here! Because heat is only applied to the outside, rather than placing the whole pie under the broiler, the curd stays chilled and the meringue adheres better.
★ Pro Tip
For this recipe, I use the easiest type of meringue, often known as “French” or “common” meringue, which is made simply by whipping egg whites and adding sugar. The meringue will not be fully cooked, and if you’re skeeved out by the idea of uncooked egg whites, you can make an Italian meringue instead (follow the instructions for buttercream, leaving out the butter and lemon curd). Or just use pasteurized egg whites (sold in cartons in the dairy case) for the simple meringue, and you’ll be good to go!