roast the toast: wild apple pie

i haven't mentioned this to you yet:

wild green apple jelly. (this one with thyme)

i made a few small jars at the end of summer 2008 - all the rest of them vanished pretty quickly and this one, even though it's been on the shelf for quite some time...

i wouldn't quite say he's settled in. in fact lately

he's been getting loud every time i walk in the larder.

yelling & shizzle, jumping up & down, rattling even. i swear the other day i thought he was going to throw himself at me in desperation when i went in to get some other such jam filled jar.

could you imagine?

i get bonked on the head by a flying agro jar, then we're both laying there on the larder floor when M walks by - a sticky, apple-y mess?

:)

all this in an effort to try and persuade me to open him up and have him over toast and homemade butter. i mean,

like i can be swayed by that?

first off, mr. wild jelly, someone should have informed you that you catch more tigresses with honey. (in this case raw sugar, but never mind)

i think you would have had a better chance with that attitude, but the point is mute because

i've had much bigger plans for you all along.

wild apple pie

when it comes to pie crust i've come to the conclusion that it's best not to mess with martha. (that's probably good advice all around, no?) her pate brisee is my staple no matter what fruit pie i am making. i do mess with the flour a bit, i like to add whole wheat pastry flour because it adds a bit of nutty flavor and a heartier texture. for this recipe i substituted 1/2 cup of it for the all-purpose white. i've gone up to a full cup substitution with great results.

1 recipe pate brisee (watch the video too, it's as much about technique as it is ingredients)
4 lbs fall fresh apples of mixed variety, cored & peeled & cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if you can ground 1/4 of a small stick in a spice grinder - do it!
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground or grated
scant 1/4 cup sugar, (i use raw)
1 & 1/2 tablespoons butter
9 or 9 1/2 inch pie plate
2-3 tablespoons apple jelly (i used wild green apple with thyme)

1. first, rearrange your fridge so that you can fit the pie dish and an additional large flat plate in the fridge. then roll out both discs of dough to a 12 inch round. this can be approximate, make sure to use flour on the board and rolling pin, brush off any excess before placing rounds on plates. ideally one disc should be slightly larger, use that for the bottom of the pie. when fitted in pie dish you should have about 1/2 inch overhang. place the second round on a large flat plate and place both in the fridge to firm. about 30 minutes.

2. while dough is firming, in a large bowl mix together sliced apples, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon juice.

3. take the bottom shell out of fridge and place apple mixture in. break the 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of butter up into 5 or so pieces and dot the top of apples.



4. place the top round over and gently press to cover apples. press top and bottom edges together to seal. if there are places where there is too much dough coming together, remove excess. once all the edges are pressed together go around once more and crimp with thumb and fingers.

5. brush a light coat of apple jelly (wild or otherwise) over top of pie, including all of the crimped edges, and every nook & cranny.



6. cut 3 slits on top of pie to allow steam to escape. place pie in freezer ideally, back in fridge if your freezer doesn't have space and freeze or chill until firm. about 30 minutes. while pie is firming, place oven rack in lower 3rd of oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

there are two things that deserve recommending: a baking stone and a pie shield. i keep my baking stone in the oven pretty much at all times, besides ensuring that the bottom crust gets crisp not soggy, there is a whole lot of other baking (scones, biscuits, bread, pizza, etc) that is done right by a stone. the pie shield is infinitely more handy than trying to cover a burning pie edge with foil. plus you can use it over and over again, which is so much better than throwing more foil in the trash.

7. place pie on the preheated baking stone, or on a baking sheet. bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. turn heat down to 350 and bake for another 25 minutes. rotate pie to get the top evenly golden, and bake for a final 20-25 minutes at 350. if the edges look like they are getting too dark at any time use shield or foil to cover.

8. the pie is done when you can see through the slits that the juices are bubbling and slightly thick. the top will be dark golden brown and the baked jam will render it slightly brûlée-esque. by that i mean crispy & sweet, and with a whole lotta apple punch.

9. let it cool on a wire rack and if you didn't make sure you had vanilla ice cream in your freezer before you started this whole thing then you better giddy up!




note: roast the toast is a new feature that you'll see here every now and again, because hey, delicious jam on top or no, a tigress can't live on bread alone...