Irish Potato Pie

Pies and Pastries Recipes

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

This recipe, with slight adjustments, was brought over “on the boat” by the cook’s great-great-aunt shortly after a potato famine in the 1880s. When asked why she had brought a potato pie (rather than a fruit pie) recipe with her, she’d answer that she had hoped that America would have an abundant supply of potatoes, as in Ireland there was “nary a sound potato to be had there. May God bring them back.” Of course, God did, and we celebrate that with the fine legacy of Aunt Bridget’s potato custard pie. Mary Cummings, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, The Old Farmer’s Almanac Recipe Contest, Dublin, New Hampshire

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half or light cream
• 2 cups mashed potatoes (whipped smooth with no lumps)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Irish whiskey, brandy, or sherry (optional)
• 1 unbaked 10-inch deep-dish pie shell with high fluted edge
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Toasted slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Stir in the half-and-half or cream, potatoes, sugar, vanilla, salt, and liquor (if using). Beat well until smooth. Cover the fluted edge of the pie shell with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Pour the filling into the shell and sprinkle with nutmeg. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 18 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the almonds around the outer edge and dust with additional nutmeg. Serve at room temperature; store in the refrigerator.

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