Search
Close this search box.
Tomato, Corn, and Bacon-Flavored-Aioli Pie

Tomato, Corn, and Bacon-Flavored-Aioli Pie

Renée Robinson

A Savory Pie Bursting with the Flavors of Summer

When making a BLT the other day, I decided to add some bacon drippings to the aioli/mayonnaise I used on it and was so blown away by the flavor, I instantly knew I had to add it to a tomato pie. I want to be clear about what I made. This is a southern tomato pie. It’s made with pie crust. It’s not what is referred to in New Jersey as tomato pie. That’s delicious, but it’s a whole different animal. 

Aioli
Bacon-Flavored-Aioli

I’ve made these southern pies in the past. Some have been much better than others, but I’d yet to make one I thought was ideal. One major factor that negatively impacts a tomato pie is the liquid in the tomatoes causes it to be too watery. In order to combat this, I chose to first roast all my tomatoes. I didn’t want them cooked down too much because the point of this pie is for the tomatoes to shine and if they reduce too much, you’d end up with a tomato sauce pie. That’s not what I had in mind. 

I found that 40 minutes in the oven did the trick. They were still plenty juicy, but not watery and tasted bright. And seeing as how great the corn is right now, I decided it would be a perfect addition. After cooking up some onions in a little bacon fat, I stirred together my cheeses, bacon-aioli, crème fraîche, and was good to go.

After par-baking and cooling my pie crust, I spread Dijon mustard over the bottom and scattered it with grated parmesan. Then it was only a matter of layering on the tomatoes, onions, corn, cheese mixture, and letting it bake and cool. 

I always knew what I wanted from a tomato pie and I finally got it. I used a lot more cheese than is normally called for, along with more aioli and thought the silky texture of crème fraîche would give me what I wanted in the filling. The bacon-aioli came through beautifully in the end. That smoky flavor added another flavor dimension to the pie that I loved. 

Slice of Tomato Pie

The filling ended up being gooey, creamy, and luscious and I couldn’t have been happier. It is important that you don’t cut into the pie for awhile after if comes out of the oven, as it needs a little while to set up. Let it cool for at least a half hour, but I think an hour is even better. It will still be gently warm at that point. But this is also delicious at room temperature. 

Tomato, Corn, and Bacon-Flavored-Aioli Pie

Recipe by Renée Robinson
Servings

6-8

servings

Is this the best tomato pie you've ever tasted? Well, it's most definitely the best one I've ever eaten. Plus, it has bacon and bacon-flavored aioli, and some corn, too. Yeah, it's creamy and rich and out of this world delicious.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • Bacon-Aioli Ingredients
  • 2 large eggs (If using a food processor, only use the yolks)

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 medium garlic clove

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, etc.)

  • 4 to 5 tablespoons bacon drippings

  • Salt to taste

  • Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 pinches granulated sugar

  • A drop or 2 of hot sauce

  • Pie Ingredients
  • 1 9 inch par-baked pie crust (Use your favorite recipe. I will include a link to the recipe for Milk Street’s in the notes below)

  • 2 pounds tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, plus more for final seasoning

  • Several healthy grinds of black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced vertically

  • 2 teaspoons bacon drippings

  • 1 1/4 cups corn, charred in a grill pan and cut from the cob (2 small ears or 1 large)

  • 6 ounces grated gruyere cheese

  • 1 ounce grated parmesan, separated

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 cup bacon-aioli

  • 1/2 cup Crème Fraîche

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon snipped chives

  • *Optional - tomatoes and parsley for garnish

Directions

  • Directions for Bacon-Aioli
  • This can easily be made using either an immersion blender or a food processor. If using an immersion blender, the ingredients must be put in a container that is not much wider in diameter than the base of your blender.
  • Add the eggs, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and sea salt to your container. Put the immersion blender into the container, but do not turn it on yet and add 1 cup of oil. Without ever lifting the immersion blender, turn it on and let it run until the mixture is emulsified and thick. Start adding the bacon drippings until you’ve reached the desired flavor. I then tweaked it with a little more salt, lots of pepper, a couple pinches of sugar and a couple drops of hot sauce. I love this technique. It’s so simple.
  • If using a food processor, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and salt to the bowl. Process for a few seconds and begin adding the oil in a very thin stream until it starts to thicken. Then add the rest of the oil, the bacon drippings, and seasonings. I don’t know the exact reason, but when I make it in a processor, I find that it emulsifies much better if I only use the egg yolks, instead of the whole eggs. But when making it with the immersion blender, it turns out much better if I use whole eggs.
  • Directions for Pie
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle. Spread the tomatoes, marjoram, sugar, salt, pepper and olive oil onto a large sheet pan. The bigger the better. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring gently at the halfway mark. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
  • Cook onions over medium low heat in bacon drippings and a pinch of salt until softened and beginning to brown - about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • Stir together the gruyere, half the parmesan, aioli, crème fraîche and a few grinds of black pepper.
  • Spread the mustard on the bottom of the pie crust. Scatter half the parmesan over the mustard. Add the tomatoes, onions, and corn. Cover with the cheese mixture.
  • Bake for approximately 40 minutes. You want the top browned. If the center is still pale, keep it in the oven for a few more minutes.
  • Remove and place on a rack to cool for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Scatter the top with the snipped chives and optional tomatoes and parsley. Slice, serve it up with a simple green salad and enjoy!

Equipment

  • 9 inch Pie Dish
  • Immersion Blender or Food Processor

Notes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 512 MB. You can upload: image. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

Facebook Comments

Facebook Activitry