Some people make their unbaked strawberry pie with gelatine, but I don't think it is nearly as good as this way. It is a little soft and goopy, and doesn't tend to serve as prettily, but that will be forgotten the minute the first bite is taken.
Take a look at that ingredient list. There isn't much there, is there? That means that you must be sure to use the best ingredients, in particular the finest of strawberries. It's vital. Your strawberries must be the freshest, the ripest, and the best bred. That means they have to be local, in-season berries. Unfortunately local berries are not always as good as they used to be since some local growers are starting to grow the varieties that were bred to be shipped, not eaten. Make sure you get the good ones! They will be smaller, softer and likely darker in colour than the California-style "pseudo" strawberries. They will also be worth every effort to procure! This is undoubtedly my favourite pie of all time.
6 servings
1 hour to make the crust
20 minutes to make the filling
2 or 3 hours to chill and garnish
1 single pie pastry (see below)4 cups (1 quart) fresh strawberries
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch, or tapioca starch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Roll out the pastry on a floured board, and line a 9" pie plate with it. Prick it all over with a for, and bake it at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Set it aside to cool.
Rinse and hull the strawberries. Pick out the ripest, best looking half of them, and arrange them in the pie crust. Mash the remaining half in a heavy-bottomed pot with the starch, sugar and water. Mix well.
Tapioca starch will give a firmer but boingyer (that's a word, i'nnit?) texture than the arrowroot or corn starch will; you must decide which you will prefer. It's not as boingy as gelatine, I'll give you that.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce turns clear and thickens. Stir constantly. Do not begin to heat the pan until the starch is thoroughly dissolved, to avoid lumps.
Pour the mixture evenly over the strawberries in the pie crust, and chill until firm. Just before serving, beat the cream until stiff with the sugar and vanilla extract. Pile it on top of the pie, and serve at once.
Doesn't keep well. Doesn't have to.
Make the Pie Crust:
OR 1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
4 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water
Put the flour and salt into a food processor, and whizz briefly. Cut the butter into chunks and add them to the food processor. Process until the butter is the size of peas, then drizzle in the oil. Start adding ice cold water in tablespoons, pulsing between each addition. Once you have added enough that the mixture begins to hold together, turn the contents of the food processor out onto a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper. Press everything together to form a disc of dough, and wrap it up in the paper loosely. Set it aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough into a circle a little larger than your pie plate, sprinkling it with a little flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Flip the circle of pastry into the pie plate while it is still attached to the paper, then peel the paper off. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the pan. Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Chill it thoroughly.
Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool before filling.
Jennifer Sanders is a Meaford resident and author of the popular 'Ontario Seasonal Food' blog site. She is a regular contributor of local food articles to The Meaford Independent.
