Strawberries and blueberries are in season (not to mention conveniently coloured) so I decided to make a strawberry-blueberry pie. I used recipes from Joy of Baking and Martha Stewart as guidelines, and my recipe is in the Recipe Box. It was really very tasty, but to say that it was runny would be an understatement; it was fruit soup on the inside. I don't know if it hadn't had enough time to set when I cut into it, or if it needed more tapioca or cornstarch, but it would be worth adding more tapioca or cornstarch, or both... I was delighted, however, to find that despite all the juices there was no soggy bottom! I think baking on a hot sheet might make quite the difference.
I used 1 1/2 times Martha's recipe for pâte brisée, and I was as happy with it this time as I was the last time. There is probably more cutting to this pie than anything else, and it begins with the pâte brisée. Chop up cold butter and cut it into the flour and salt mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Add 1/4-1/2 cup ice water to the dough just until it sticks together. Split the dough in half to form two disks, cover them, and chill them in the refrigerator for at least an hour (I left mine overnight). When it's ready roll one disk to about 1/8" thick and place it in a 9"-10" pie dish. Spread a thin layer of butter over the bottom of the shell - this will form a barrier between the filling and the crust to prevent a soggy bottom - and return to the refrigerator. Roll out the second disk and return it as well.
I made a new-to-me discovery while getting ready to make this pie: tapioca is 'ground arrowroot' in the UK. At least I think it is. While the tapioca my mom uses to firm up her pies is not ground, tapioca starch is the only ingredient in ground arrowroot so it seems to be the right thing. I decided to give it a try anyhow.
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and tapioca together and set it aside while you hull and cut the strawberries. When the strawberries are all sliced up, mix them in a big bowl with the blueberries, and then stir the sugar mixture into the berries. Let the berries sit about fifteen minutes, and while they're doing that take the disk of dough back out of the refrigerator and cut it into 1" strips. When that's done, remove the pie dish, and pour the berries in.
Form a lattice on the pie, starting by laying half of the strips over top of it. Fold back alternating strips, and lay another strip perpendicular over the remaining strips. Unfold the folded strips back over the perpendicular strip. Repeat until the lattice is complete.
Nearly lastly, beat an egg and brush it over the pastry, and then dust it with sugar sprinkles. None of this step is necessary, of course, but it looks pretty and the sugar adds a nice crunch.
Then pop it in the oven! Make sure, especially if you decide not to bake the pie on a baking sheet, that you cover the bottom of the oven with tin foil. The pie will drip, and it will be a sticky mess. A tasty, sticky mess.
And the best part? This red, white and blue pie can do double duty: preheat your oven for Bastille Day, July 14th.
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