1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set out a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Roll, shape, and flute the pie shell, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Line the chilled shell with the chocolate chips.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, whisk the eggs and salt just until frothy. Do not overbeat. Whisk in both sugars, the corn syrup, and melted chocolate. Stir in the chopped pecans, butter, and vanilla. Pour into the pie shell.

3. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange whole pecans in a 7-inch star pattern on a flat surface, filling in the design completely with pecans. Remove the pie from the oven and transfer the star, one pecan at a time, onto the top of the pie (work fast). Bake 30 minutes more or until the pie is just set in the center. Let pie cool on a rack at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Store in the refrigerator.