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*Note: Cook times do not include chill time for pie to set
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To pre-bake pie shell:
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Line pie dish with rolled out pastry (use your favorite crust recipe, or a store bought).
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Tightly line the crust with aluminum foil and fill with beans or pie weights. I find it works best to fill the entire pie shell to the top with your weights.
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Bake on the bottom shelf at 400u00b0 for 20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and decrease oven temp to 375u00b0.
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Remove foil and weights from your crust. Poke holes all around the shell with a fork, twisting the fork slightly as you go.
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Continue baking the crust at 375u00b0 until the inside is golden brown and the shell is fully baked. Check at five and ten minutes, using the back of a spoon to press down any spots that puff up.
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Cool shell before filling.
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For the pie:
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Wash and quarter the strawberries. (Reserve a couple of the prettiest ones if you would like to use them for garnishing.)
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Separate 1/2 cup of the cut up strawberries. Mash slightly. Mix with remaining cut up strawberries and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, slightly beat the egg yolks and set aside until needed.
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In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. And milk and whisk to combine. Add basil leaves. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until thick.
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Once thickened, whisk about a half a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, tempering them to prevent scrambled eggs from forming in your custard.
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Add egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan while whisking, continue heating about 1 more minute while continuing to whisk the mixture.
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Remove from heat and add butter, stir until melted completely into mixture.
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Pour mixture thru a fine strainer to remove clumps and basil leaves.
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Spread strawberries in an even layer across the bottom of the baked pie shell. Top with basil custard. Refrigerate until set, probably 4 hours is sufficient but I refrigerate overnight.
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Garnish as desired with additional strawberries, basil leaves, and/or whipped cream.
