WINE WITH…Corn and Cheese Pie with Bacon and Onions

You’re going to love this delicious savory pie.  You’ll also love that it is easy to prepare (we made our own crust but substituting a store-bought ready-made one means that putting this recipe together really is a snap).  You could substitute frozen corn for the fresh, but this is a tasty way to put end-of-summer corn to good use.  Serve it for an informal dinner or feature this versatile dish at brunch or lunch.  All it needs as an accompaniment is a simple green salad or a platter of sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

Corn and Cheese Pie with Bacon and Onions

Serves 4-6

(Since the edge of a pie crust cooks before the rest, we like to prevent it from burning by carefully draping strips of foil over it before baking.)

One 9-inch piecrust
4-5 slices bacon cut in 1 ½ inch pieces
About 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 ½-2 cups corn kernels cut from 4-5 ears of corn
3 eggs
1 ½ cups half and half or heavy cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°

Prick the piecrust all over with a fork.  Cut or fold a piece of foil to cover the bottom of the crust and scatter a layer of dried beans, rice or pie weights over it.  Cut a few strips of foil and tuck them loosely around the edge of the crust.  Bake for about 10 minutes, and then carefully lift out the foil and weights.  Return the crust to the oven and bake it for about 10 more minutes, or until it is lightly browned.

Fry the bacon pieces in a heavy skillet until they are crisp.  Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.  Discard all but about one tablespoon of the bacon fat and add the onions to the skillet.  Sauté them over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until they begin to soften; then stir in the corn kernels.  Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the onions are just beginning to brown; then remove the pan from the heat and let sit until the mixture has cooled a little.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and cream. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Distribute about half of the bacon pieces over the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle with half of the grated cheese.  Stir the corn and onions into the egg mixture and pour it into the piecrust.  Top with the remaining pieces of bacon and cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture has set.

Let the pie sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

This pie pairs well with both rich, fleshy whites and soft, supple reds.  It also is the relatively rare dish that benefits from oak in the match.  As a result, wines that otherwise work better on their own shine here as accompaniments.

More recipes and wine pairings:    Wine With…