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1
Several hours ahead: Start heating oven to 350F (180C).
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2
To eggs, add sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk; beat well.
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3
Add coconut.
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4
Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate that has been set in shallow baking pan; sprinkle with nutmeg.
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5
Set in oven; into baking pan, pour enough hot water to come three fourths way up side of pie plate.
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6
Bake 35 min., or until silver knife inserted in center comes out clean.
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7
Cool at room temperature.
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8
When shell and custard are cool, melt chocolate with shortening over hot, not boiling, water.
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9
Meanwhile, slip custard into shell this way: Tilt custard-filled pie plate a bit.
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10
With small spatula, gently pull custard away from all sides of plate.
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11
To complete loosening, hold plate level with both hands; shake gently.
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12
Now hold custard, tilted, over shell, with far edge of custard just above and close to far edge of shell; shake gently.
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13
As custard slips out, pull plate back toward you until custard is in shell.
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14
To make chocolate top, dip metal or wooden skewer into melted-chocolate mixture and draw it across top of pie in crisscross manner, dipping skewer into chocolate as needed.
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15
Let settle a few minutes; then serve at once.
