Ingredients

• 2 pie crusts (top & bottom)
• 4 medium lemons (about 400 g), preferably Meyer lemons
• 10 ounces / 285g sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract.
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 cup large grain sugar, to sprinkle on crust

Directions

1. Cut each lemon in half. Use a tiny spoon (1/4 teaspoon) to scoop out all the seeds you can find while retaining as much juice as possible. Any remaining seeds can be removed later in the process, so don’t obsess over this step.
2. Freeze the lemon halves for an hour or so. Remove from the freezer and carefully use a mandolin to shave into thin lemon wheels - 1/8-inch thick. Please use all safety precautions when using the mandolin. If the lemons are too frozen to slice, allow to thaw for ten minutes and try again. Transfer slices to a medium bowl and combine with the sugar. Stir well and allow to macerate for 4-5 hours, or overnight. Stir occasionally, and remove any additional seeds that might surface. They tend to float a bit. You’ll whisk 4 of the eggs just before filling and add it to the lemon mixture down the recipe a bit.
3. *This is a great time to make the pie dough, or pull pie dough from the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator.
4. Just before rolling out your pie dough, finish the filling. Use culinary scissors to cut the sugar-lemon mixture into pieces. I aim for a marmalade texture with lots of good-sized lemon peel chunks. Whisk four of the eggs and add to the lemon-sugar mixture. Add the extract and salt and stir well. Set aside.
5. Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Heat the oven for at least 30 minutes before baking pies - you want to make sure it’s hot and ready to go. Also, clear a space in the freezer to chill the pie before baking.
6. If your dough has been chilling overnight allow it to sit at room temperature for a bit before rolling out - 15 minutes or so. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, and roll the pie dough out, large enough to relax into your pie dish with extra dough an inch or two beyond the edge. You’re going to want to turn the pie dough clockwise after every few passes with the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Flour more as needed.
7. Transfer the dough for the bottom crust into the pie dish by gently wrapping it around your rolling pin and unrolling it across your pie dish. Coax the pie dough into place, and then press into the pan to anchor it. Roll out the top pie crust. You want to work relatively quickly at this point so your dough doesn’t warm.
8. Gently pour the lemon filling into the dough-line pie dish. Drape the other round of pie dough on top and trim so you have about 1-inch of dough hanging beyond the edge of the dish. I like a lot of crust so, if I’m being honest, I don’t always trim a lot at this point. But trimming can make things easier to work with. Press the edges of the pie shell together to seal things, and fold the edge of the crust over or under, and crimp or pinch around the edge using a fork or pressing your thumb and forefinger of one hand into the forefinger of the other hand. Carefully place the entire pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
9. In the meantime, whisk the remaining egg. When it is time, remove the pie from the freezer, cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes, and gently brush with enough egg to coat all of the top crust. Sprinkle generously with sugar - I like the larger sugar crystals.
10. Put the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips and place in the oven. Dial back the heat to 375°F. You’re going to bake the pie for about an hour, but start checking on it about 45 minutes in. At this point I often spin it 180 degrees in the oven, and I’ll make note if I think the top of the pie is getting too dark. If so, place a sheet of aluminum foil over it until the bottom catches up. When everything is deeply golden remove from the oven and cool on a pie rack for 2-3 hours before slicing. If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate this pie for up to a week. Well-wrapped, and completely cooled, it also freezes well for up to a couple months.