strawberry sumac pie - Guide Recipe
A few weeks ago , I shared my recipe for halva cardamom banana cream pie , and declared this my summer of pies. But as it turns out , this isn’t so much the summer of pies as it is the summer of strawberry rhubarb alternatives. First , there was the late-spring combination of strawberry and jarareng , and now I’m posting this strawberry sumac one , inspired in large part by Majed Ali’s cherry sumac date molasses pie and Jarrelle Guy’s strawberry sumac granola tart. As it turns out , sumac is a great way to add some bright berry-like acidity to strawberries , which tend to get that very dull *McDonalds strawberry syrup flavor* when cooked for a long time.
While rhubarb is the more typical antidote to the cooked strawberry dulness , I just never seem to find it. Or , more accurately , I never seem to stumble upon it. In Hong Kong , it’s usually only available through restaurant suppliers or ridiculously fancy supermarkets , and when I’m visiting Chicago , I spend most of my shopping time loitering in the Ziyad aisle of local supermarkets and making quick runs to Trader Joe’s and Target.
Sumac , on the other hand , is available year round , it pretty much never goes bad , it’s something you should have in your kitchen at all times , and it works beautifully in desserts. Sprinkle it on mango slices , make a mountain of fattoush with every meal , and bake this pie for those times when you just don’t feel like making a special trip for a bundle of rhubarb.
strawberry sumac pie
serves 8
active time: 1 hour
total time: 3 hours 45 minutes
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crust
400g all purpose flour (about 3 cups)
7g salt (1 teaspoon)
230g cold unsalted butter , cut into chunks (2 sticks)
120g cold plain yogurt (1/2 cup)
30g cold water (2 tablespoons)
Place the flour , salt , and butter in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times , until the butter blends into the flour , and there aren’t any big lumps. Add the yogurt , and pulse 2 or 3 times to distribute. Evenly drizzle on the water. Pulse a few times until it can be squeezed together into a pliable and smooth dough (don’t over-process). If the dough won’t come together , add a few more drops of water at a time.
Shape the dough into 2 equal balls , flatten the balls into discs , cover each with plastic wrap , and refrigerate for just 30 minutes. Work on the filling while you wait.
filling
850g hulled and quartered strawberries (7 cups sliced , from about 900g/2lb whole)
150g light brown sugar (3/4 cup)
20g sumac (3 tablespoons)
1.5g teaspoon salt (1/4 teaspoon)
60g quick cooking minute tapioca (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoon cream or water
While the dough chills , combine the berries , brown sugar , sumac , salt , and tapioca , and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) .
On a lightly floured surface , roll a round of chilled dough out to between 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick; it should be quite a bit wider than the pie pan (the dough should be about 13-13.5 inches across).
Once it’s rolled out , gently wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the pie pan. Unroll it onto a 9-inch pie pan and gently press the dough into place so it’s in contact with the entire pan.
Fill the pie shell with the strawberry filling , and spread out into an even layer.
Roll out the other disc of dough into a rounded-off rectangle that’s about 11x13 inches (1/8- to 1/4-inch thick). Cut it into 6 2-inch-wide strips.
Assemble the lattice top: First , place 3 strips going in one direction , with narrow gaps in between them (use shorter strips for the 2 sides). Then fold back every other strip and place another strip perpendicular to them near the edge of the pie. Drape the lifted strips back over the perpendicular strip. Repeat , alternating which of the parallel strips are lifted , adding the next perpendicular strip each time , until the whole pie is covered.
Dab a bit of egg wash under each strip of lattice , to make sure it stays connected to the crust. Use scissors to trim away the excess crust (crimp it if you’d like , or don’t if you prefer this look) , and place the pie in the freezer for about 10 minutes (or the refrigerator for about 30).
Once the dough is firm to the touch , brush with the egg wash , and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F (205°C).
After 15 minutes , reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another hour. If the edges of the crust start to brown too quickly , use a crown of tin foil for the last 20 minutes of baking.
Place the pie on a cooling rack for at least 2 hours , until it comes to room temperature.
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