South Carolina Huguenot Torte

The French Huguenots who fled religious persecution and settled along the Carolina coast in the late 1600s brought many things: their language, their silversmithing skills, their Reformed faith. Whether they brought this torte is a matter of some debate among food historians. What remains beyond argument is that Charleston claimed it, perfected it, and made it famous.

The torte itself defies easy categorization. It is not quite a pie, not quite a cake, not quite a meringue. The batter contains almost no flour. Beaten eggs carry the entire structure, producing a confection that emerges from the oven puffed and golden, then collapses into something altogether different: crisp and crackled on top, chewy and dense within, studded throughout with tart apple and buttery pecans.

The Huguenot Tavern on Queen Street served this to generations of Charlestonians before it closed. The recipe appeared in Charleston Receipts, the Junior League cookbook that became the bible of Lowcountry cooking. Every proper Charleston hostess had her version, some using walnuts instead of pecans, some adding a touch of bourbon to the whipped cream. The essentials never varied: tart apples, local nuts, a cloud of cold cream.

I've served this at dinner parties from coast to coast. Guests invariably ask what it is, then ask for seconds before I can finish explaining. That's the mark of a dish that transcends its regional origins while honoring them completely.