Pie

You wanted dessert, Food Fighters? – You got it.  I have the easiest, most fool-proof recipe for pie crust, courtesy of my mentor, JJ Gonson of Cuisine en Locale.  The following recipe is hers – so don’t go giving me credit for it – and is the simplest way to crank out pie crust that I’ve seen.  I used to find pie crust intimidating, but really, all you need is a food processor. 

Sweet pie crust

1 c. flour

1/3 cup ice water

1 stick of butter

1 Tbsp. sugar

Saran wrap

The trick here, folks, is not to touch your pie crust with your hands.  In order to get that flaky deliciousness, all ingredients must stay as cold as possible.  Throw a couple of ice cups into your measuring cup of water, touch your butter minimally, and pulse your food processor – even IT can get too hot and affect the dough.

Fit the blade attachment into the processor, then add your flour.  Cut your butter into pats and add.  Pulse (don’t blend) until you have chunks of incorporated butter and flour the size of peas.  Then add your ice water and pulse til those peas reduce to the size of sesame seeds.  Resist the urge to add more water to make the mixture more pliable – you’re not going to knead.  Pull a foot-long piece of Saran wrap over your kitchen counter.  Tip the butter/flour mixture onto the top part, then fold the rest over.  Seal the sides, making sure that there’s no butter stuck in them – these pieces will get hard and mess up the quality of your dough.  When you’ve formed and sealed the little packet of dough, pat it down with the heel of your hand so as to form a homogenous piece.  Don’t touch it more than you have to and don’t flatten it completely.  Carefully place it in the refrigerator for a half hour or so to chill.

When you’re ready to roll it out, flour your counter and your rolling pin.  Tip the dough out out from the Saran wrap.  Roll out, then up, then out.  If your dough is too sticky, add a little flour.  If it’s too dry, add a little ice water.  Try to roll it out as quickly as possible so it stays cold, then, once you have a piece that will fit your pie pan, hold it over the tin and fit it inside.  Cut off the part that’s sticking up over the edge, then score your edges with a fork.  Fill with apples, pears, cherries – whatever you have available.  Sweeten the fruit with about a half a cup of sugar (more if you want), some cinnamon, some cardamom, ginger – whatever strikes your fancy.

The pic above is actually a savory quiche that I made.  To make savory pie crust, don’t add sugar, just add a tsp. of salt and follow the same recipe.  The filling should consist of 1/2 c. of milk to each egg.  For every one batch of pie crust you make using the above recipe, use 3 eggs.  Add whatever vegetables you have lying around (careful with greens, though – drain them carefully or they’ll leak into your quiche), plus some cheese and/or meat, and you have a really satisfying dinner.

Copyright 2010 Cuisine en Locale / Vintage Eats