Makes one 9-inch pie (recipe can be doubled)
Recipe adapted from David Leite’s pie (filling & topping)
Tip: If you can grow or purchase rhubarb where you live, but can’t use it all at one time, you’re in luck! Rhubarb freezes beautifully and can be used later in many recipes…I’m partial to pie, but sauce for ice cream or cheesecake isn’t a bad choice either! Trim off the leaf and base ends of rhubarb stalks, wash and dry thoroughly, then cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Spread on a sheet pan and put in the freezer until solid (so the pieces don’t stick together), then toss into bags or containers and store in the freezer until ready to use.
Ingredients and Directions
1 chilled, unbaked pie crust – use your favorite or try the sour cream crust below.
Sour Cream Pie Crust
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in about 12-16 pieces
1/2 cup (4 oz) cold leaf lard (can sub 1 stick unsalted butter)
1/2 cup (4 oz) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt and sugar. Sprinkled the cubes of butter & pieces of leaf lard (if using) over the flour. Work the fat into the dough with a pastry blender or your fingers until you have a coarse meal with some small chunks.
Add the sour cream to the flour mixture; stir into the mixture with a fork. Gather the pastry dough into a ball and flatten into a disk about 2-inches thick. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or up to a day ahead. When ready to roll crust, let it sit wrapped for about 5 minutes at room temperature. Dust counter, rolling pin and dough lightly with flour. As you roll the crust to about 12-14 inches in diameter, check to be sure it isn’t sticking to the rolling surface. Add a bit more flour to surface if needed. Ease crust into 9-inch pie pan so it isn’t stretched; trim edges to about 1-inch beyond edge of pan; roll the overhanging edge under and crimp the edge as you please. Place crust into fridge while you make the topping and filling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Note: This pie is likely to bubble over, so I use foil to line the bottom of my oven.
Ginger Crumb Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, ginger, salt. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture (ok to use food processor). The crumb topping should look dry with a few small chunks about the size of peas. Set aside.
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb (if using frozen, DO NOT THAW)
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (if the berries are large, cut into quarters)
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
In a medium bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon and toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Spoon filling into chilled pie crust and top with crumb topping, gently pushing it to the inside edge of the crust.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350F and continue baking for about 45 minutes. The crust should be dark golden brown, the filling bubbling, and some juices spilling onto the foil below. Aren’t you glad you planned for that?! Cool completely on a wire rack before serving (good luck with that). 😉
My Kitchen Calls 