Half of making a good pie is having a good pie plate, and I'm here to tell you that you can't beat the old-fashioned Pyrex 10-inch glass plate with its cheery fluted border that just begs you to fill it with something homemade.The 10-inch size is great for deep dish-type pies and, though you don't have to fill it to the brim (or more), at our house more pie is better pie. Plus the glass allows you to see if the bottom crust is browning nicely, or if (heaven forfend!) it splits and leaks juice. It's also great for making a round of cornbread (perfect for slicing triangles of corny goodness) or chilling a batch of polenta for grilling later.
Look for them at garage and estate sales where you can get one for as little as $1. The 10-inchers are hard to find these days, but you won't be happy with anything smaller. As I said above, more pie is better pie.
So I’m assuming that you have a kick-ass crust recipe that you wouldn't mind sharing with one particular pie neophyte..? (like me!)
ReplyDeleteI make a very simple, short crust in the food processor.
ReplyDeletePie Crust ala Antie
1 heaping cup flour (about 1 1/4 c.)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 stick frozen margarine
2 1/2 Tbsp. ice water
Put flour, salt and sugar in bowl of processor. Pulse briefly. Cut margarine into 1 Tbsp. pieces and add to flour mixture. Pulse till consistency of cornmeal. With processor running, add water until dough forms a lump and whacks around in the bowl. Chill 1 hr. before rolling out. Makes 1 bottom crust, so repeat if top crust is desired.