Nectarine Raspberry Slab Pie Food

ROOT VEGETABLE SLAB PIE

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Unroll 2 pieces of pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Brush 1 piece with half of the melted butter, then set the other piece directly on top. Roll the 2 pieces together into a 12-by-14-inch rectangle. Repeat with the remaining 2 pieces of pie dough. Line an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with 1 rectangle, leaving an overhang on all sides. Transfer the remaining rectangle to a baking sheet. Chill both crusts until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and 1 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the shallots start to brown, about 20 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar. Cook, stirring, until glazed, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery root and the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the heavy cream and 1 cup water until smooth. Tie the thyme sprigs and bay leaves together with kitchen twine; add to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is thick, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Discard the herb bundle. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, scallions and parsley.
• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Spread the shallots evenly over the crust in the baking dish, then add the root vegetable filling in an even layer. Cover with the prepared top crust; use kitchen scissors to trim the excess pastry so there is a 1-inch overhang. Pinch the 2 crusts together, then fold the overhanging dough under itself. Chill 20 minutes.
• Brush the top crust with the beaten egg. Score decoratively with a paring knife, being careful not to pierce completely through; poke a few vents in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

NECTARINE, PLUM, AND RASPBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 5 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just combined. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 6 portions. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together with scraper and press into 2 balls, then flatten each into a 5" disk. Chill dough, each disk wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Filling and assembly:
• Toss nectarines, plums, raspberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a large bowl.
• Grind tapioca to a powder in grinder, then whisk together with cornstarch, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl (do not toss with fruit until dough is rolled out).
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, into a 13"-14" round, then fit into a 9" pie plate and trim edge, leaving a 1" overhang.
• Roll out remaining disk to a 14" round. Slide round onto a baking sheet. Cover and chill both crusts for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400° with rack in lower third. Toss sugar mixture with fruit and transfer to chilled pie shell.
• Using fluted pastry wheel (or other utensil), cut chilled dough round into 3/4"-wide strips. Weave strips over filling, forming a lattice. Trim strips 1/2" shorter than dough overhang. Fold overhang over strips and crimp edges decoratively.
• Brush beaten egg over crust edges and lattice. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over crust. Set pie on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
• Bake pie 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake, checking frequently and covering edge with a strip of foil or pie shield if crusts are browning too fast, until crusts are golden brown and filling is bubbling, 40-50 minutes more.
• Cool pie to room temperature on a rack, at least 2 hours.

NECTARINE & RASPBERRY GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the grill to medium. Place the nectarines cut-side up in 4 individual gratin dishes and pile the raspberries in the centre of each half. Drizzle cream over the fruit, sprinkle with sugar, then grill for 8-10 mins until bubbling and golden. Dust with cocoa and serve.

NECTARINE-RASPBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough:
• Remove the dough for the bottom crust from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll.
• On a floured pastry cloth or between two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the bottom crust 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Transfer it to the pie pan. Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.
• Make the filling:
• Place the sliced nectarines in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the lemon juice. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt and toss them gently to mix evenly. Allow to macerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and maximum of 1 hour.
• Transfer the nectarines and their juices to a colander suspended over a bowl to capture the liquid. The mixture will exude a full cup of juice.
• In a small saucepan (preferably lined with a nonstick surface), over medium-high heat, boil down this liquid to 1/2 cup, or until syrupy and lightly carmelized. Swirl the liquid but do not stir it. (Alternatively, spray a 4 cup heatproof measure with nonstick vegetable spray, add the liquid, and boil it in a microwave, about 12 minutes on high). Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes or until warm.
• Meanwhile, transfer the nectarines to a bowl and toss them with the lemon zest and cornstarch until all traces of the cornstarch have disappeared. Stir the Kirsch into the cooled syrup and pour it over the nectarines, tossing gently. Transfer the nectarine mixture to the pie shell and top with the raspberries.
• Roll out the top crust large enough to cut a 12-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle.
• Moisten the edges of the bottom crust with water and place the top crust over the fruit. Tuck the overhang under the bottom crust border and press down all around the top to seal it. Crimp the border using a fork or your fingers and make about 5 evenly spaced 2-inch slashes starting about 1 inch from the center and radiating toward the edge. Cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour before baking to chill and relax the pastry. This will maintain flakiness and help to prevent distortion.
• Preheat oven to 425°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating. Place a large piece of greased foil on top to catch bubbling juices.
• Set the pie directly on the foil-topped baking stone and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices bubble thickly through the slashes and the nectarines feel tender but not mushy when a cake tester or small knife is inserted through a slash. After 30 minutes, protect the edges from overbrowning with a foil ring. cool the pie on a rack for at least 3 hours before cutting.
• Store:
• Room temperature, up to 2 days.
• Pointers for success:
• - The nectarines should be ripe but firm so they maintain their texture in a pie. If squishy, they lose their character.
• - As you slice the nectarines, toss them occasionally with the sugar mixture to coat to prevent them from turning brown.
• - The liquid must not be hot when added to the nectarines because it could cause the cornstarch to lump.
• - Be sure to put a sheet of foil under the pie pan, as there is always a little spillover with this much fruit.
• - For a truly crisp bottom crust, bake the pie directly on the floor of the oven for the first 30 minutes.