Rhubarb Pie

Directions

Get the freshest Rhubarb you can with stiff, firm stalks. Doesn't matter if they are red or green, they all taste the same. Rhubarb tends to be very watery when cut, so the pie can be soupy. Our German friend Annette said her mother drains some of the liquid from the rhubarb after it's sliced to keep the pie a bit firmer. But even soupy, this pie is just outstanding. Must be served with fresh whipped cream with plenty of Cook's Pure Vanilla Puree or Extract. Vanilla ice cream works too.

We use plenty of filling and pile it high in the pie plate. Forget strawberries, don't need 'em, and we like a criss/cross hatch crust on top to allow plenty of moisture to escape. Easy to do, just roll out some extra pie dough and slice with a knife, layering the strips across the top.

Bake pie at 400 for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake another 20 minutes or until done.

Mix in a bowl:

8 cups fresh rhubarb, sliced about 1/4 inch, accomplished with great speed in a Cuisinart using the slicing tool
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
2-1/2 cups sugar

To firm up the pie, let the sliced rhubarb stand for a few minutes first and drain some of the liquid before mixing with sugar.

Pile high into the pie crust.

Here's our favorite pie crust, from Julia Child's highly recommended "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." It's easy and you can make it ahead of time. You can double this, and freeze and store by separating into balls large enough for one crust and wrapping in waxed paper, sealed in a plastic bag. Move the crust to the frig to give it time to thaw before rolling out. This recipe contains lots of butter, so when rolling out on a hot summer day, put your roller and pastry cloth in the freezer beforehand to keep the tools cool.

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pinches sugar
1/4 lb. chilled butter cut into 1/2 inch bits
2 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
5 tablespoons cold water, more or less

A wire pastry blender helps a lot.

Here are Julia's instructions:

"The mixing of pastry should be accomplished rapidly, particularly if your kitchen is warm, so that the butter will soften as little as possible. Use very quick, light finger movements, and do not linger on the dough at all with the warm palms of your hands. A pastry blender may be used if you wish, but a necessary part oflearning how to cook is to get the feel of the dough in your fingers."

"Place flour, salt, sugar, butter and vegetable shortening in a big mixing bowl. Rub the flour and fat together rapidly between the tips of your fingers until the fat is broken into pieces the size of oatmeal flakes. Do not overdo this step as the fat will be more thoroughly blended later."

"Add the water and blend quickly with one hand, fingers held together and slightly cupped, as you rapidly gather the dough into a mass. Sprinkle up to one tablespoon more water by droplets over any unmassed remains and add them to the main body of the dough. Then press the dough firmly into a roughly shaped ball. It should just hold together and be pliable, but not be damp and sticky."

"Place the dough on a lightly floured pastry board (we use the kitchen counter). With the heel of one hand, not the palm which is too warm, rapidly press the pastry by two-spoonful bits down on the board and away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches. This constitutes the final blending of the fat and flour, or fraisage.

"With a scraper or spatula, gather the dough again into a mass; knead it briefly into a fairly smooth round ball. Sprinkle it lightly with flour and wrap it in waxed paper. Either place it in the freezer for about one hour until the dough is firm but not congealed, or leave it for two hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

"Uncooked pastry dough will kepp for 3 to 4 days under refrigeration, or may be frozen for several weeks. In either case, wrap it airtight in waxed paper and a plastic bag."

Rolling out the dough:

"Because of its high butter content, roll out the dough as quickly as possible, so that it will not soften and become difficult to handle. Place the dough on a lightly floured board or marble (we use a pastry cloth which we think works much better). If the dough is hard, beat it with the rolling pin to soften it. Then knead it briefly into a fairly flat circle. It should be just malleable enough so that it can be rolled out without cracking. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Place the rolling pin across the center and roll back and forth with a firm but gentle pressure to start the dough moving. Then with a firm, even stroke, always rolling away from you, start just below the center of the dough and roll to within an inch of the far edge. Lift and turn and continue rolling, sprinkling with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Roll it into a cirle about 1/8 inch thick and about 2 inches larger than your pie pan."