Maine Wild Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch pie plate (glass or ceramic preferred for even browning)
• •Rolling pin
• •Pastry blender or two forks
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Pastry brush
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pie dough

   Whisk together the flour, one tablespoon sugar, and one teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and toss to coat each piece with flour. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. These irregular pieces are essential. They'll create the flaky layers you're after.

   If your kitchen runs warm, freeze the butter cubes for fifteen minutes before starting. Warm butter blends too smoothly and produces a tough, dense crust.
2. 2

   Hydrate the dough

   Drizzle six tablespoons of ice water over the flour mixture, tossing with a fork after each addition. Add more water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together when you squeeze a handful. It should hold its shape without crumbling, but not feel wet or sticky. Divide the dough in half, shape each portion into a flat disk about one inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling

   In a large bowl, gently toss the wild blueberries with three-quarters cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Fold carefully. Wild blueberries are fragile and will burst if handled roughly. The mixture will look dry at first, but the berries will release their juices as they sit. Let the filling rest while you roll the crust.

   If using frozen berries, do not thaw them. Toss them frozen with the sugar mixture and proceed immediately. Thawed berries turn to mush.
4. 4

   Roll the bottom crust

   Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn after each roll to maintain a circular shape. Roll to a thickness of about one-eighth inch, creating a circle roughly thirteen inches in diameter. Transfer to a nine-inch pie plate, easing the dough into the corners without stretching. Trim the overhang to one inch beyond the rim. Refrigerate while you roll the top crust.

5. 5

   Roll the top crust

   Roll the second disk to the same dimensions. You can leave it whole for a traditional double crust, or cut it into strips for a lattice. A lattice allows steam to escape and shows off that magnificent purple filling. For a solid top, cut three or four vents in the center using a sharp knife, each about two inches long.

6. 6

   Assemble the pie

   Pour the blueberry filling into the prepared bottom crust, mounding it slightly higher in the center. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the berries. Lay the top crust over the filling, or weave your lattice. For a solid top, fold the overhanging edges under and crimp decoratively by pressing with fork tines or pinching between your fingers. For a lattice, tuck the strip ends under the bottom crust edge and crimp to seal.

7. 7

   Apply the egg wash

   Beat the egg with heavy cream until smooth. Using a pastry brush, paint the entire top crust with this wash, getting into all the crimps and crevices. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. The coarse crystals catch light beautifully and add a subtle crunch. Place the assembled pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.

8. 8

   Bake until bubbling

   Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and heat to 425°F. Bake the pie for twenty minutes at this high temperature to set the crust quickly. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking for forty to forty-five minutes more. The pie is done when the crust is deeply golden brown and you can see thick, syrupy bubbles emerging through the vents or lattice. The bubbles should be slow and viscous, not thin and watery.

   If the crust edges brown too quickly, shield them with a pie ring or strips of foil during the final fifteen minutes of baking.
9. 9

   Cool completely

   Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let it cool for at least four hours before slicing. This patience is non-negotiable. The filling needs time to set. Cut into a hot blueberry pie and you'll have purple soup running across your plate. The cooled pie will slice cleanly, the filling holding its shape while remaining soft and jammy.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out genuine Maine wild blueberries, sold frozen at most well-stocked supermarkets under the Wyman's brand. Cultivated blueberries are a different fruit entirely. They lack the concentrated flavor and will produce a pie that tastes pleasant but unremarkable.
• •The cornstarch quantity assumes wild blueberries. If you must substitute cultivated berries, reduce the sugar to half a cup and increase cornstarch to four tablespoons, as larger berries contain more water.
• •For an authentic Down East experience, serve wedges with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream or a pour of cold heavy cream. Some old-timers insist on a thin slice of sharp cheddar cheese alongside. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
• •The day-old pie, stored at room temperature under a dome or inverted bowl, often tastes even better than fresh. The flavors meld and the filling firms further.

Advance Preparation

• •Pie dough can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for two months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •The unbaked assembled pie can be frozen solid, then wrapped tightly and stored frozen for up to one month. Bake directly from frozen, adding fifteen to twenty minutes to the total baking time.
• •Baked pie keeps at room temperature for two days. Refrigerate after that, bringing slices to room temperature before serving for best flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 280g)