Serves
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
- Perfect Pie crust: (this makes 2 recipes, enough for a pie shell with a lattice top)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- Strawberry rhubarb filling:
- 1 pound rhubarb, ends trimmed and sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
- 2 cups stemmed and sliced strawberries
- 1½ cups granulated sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for garnishing crust
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg yolk
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional
Procedure
A carefully woven lattice is the crowning glory of a summer pie, providing a tempting glimpse of the sweet fruit within through the slatted golden brown crust. The pie will keep at room temperature under a cake dome for up to 2 days. For longer storage, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reheat at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes to warm the filling and re-crisp the crust.
For pie crust: Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor or large mixing bowl. By pulsing or using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of small peas. Sprinkle ice water, a tablespoon at a time, over the flour mixture. When enough water has been added to allow the dough to hold together, transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Gather the dough together to form a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk about 6 inches wide, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
You can make the dough ahead of time, wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 2 days, or freexe for 1 month. You will need two of this recipe for the lattice-top pie.
For the strawberry rhubarb filling: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stir thoroughly.
Roll out one recipe of the pie dough. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan and chill until ready to use. Firmly shape the other recipe of dough into a small rectangle, and then roll it into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle that is about ⅛-inch thick, trimming if necessary to reach the right dimensions. Carefully fold the dough rectangle into quarters, transfer it to a baking sheet, unfold and chill until ready to use.
Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell. From the chilled rectangle of the dough, weave a lattice. Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour.
Preheat an oven to 400°F and position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, then use a pastry brush to lightly glaze the lattice and outside edge of the pie crust. Sprinkle the top with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the fruit is bubbling and tender (test with the top of a paring knife). Transfer to a cooling rack and allow the pie to cool for at least
20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
