Southern-Style Chocolate Chess Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Place a baking sheet in the oven.
2. Combine the butter and chocolate in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until melted, stirring until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, bourbon, vanilla and salt. Stir in the pecans; the filling will be thick, Spoon into the prepared pie shell.
4. Place on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set and the edges of the filling puff and begin to crack. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Biltmore Company, Biltmore, Our Table to Yours, Chef’s Selection Cookbook (The Biltmore Company, 2007).