New Mexico Green Chile Apple Pie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

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

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pie dough

   Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and lard cubes. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces remaining. These irregular fat pieces create the flaky layers. Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition until the dough just holds together when pressed. You may not need all the water.

   If using your hands, work quickly. Warm hands melt fat and produce tough crust. Periodically rinse your hands in cold water.
2. 2

   Chill the dough

   Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into a disk about one inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Cold dough rolls without sticking and bakes into flakier layers. Do not skip this rest.

3. 3

   Roast the chiles (if using fresh)

   If working with fresh Hatch chiles, char them directly over a gas burner or under a broiler, turning with tongs until the skin blackens and blisters on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for fifteen minutes. The skins will slip off easily. Remove stems and seeds, then dice the flesh. The kitchen should smell like a New Mexico September.

4. 4

   Prepare the apples

   Peel, core, and slice the apples into pieces about a quarter-inch thick. I prefer a mix: Granny Smith for tartness, Honeycrisp for sweetness, perhaps a Braeburn for complexity. Place the slices in a large bowl. Add the diced green chiles, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cumin, salt, lime zest, and lime juice. Toss gently to coat every slice. Let this mixture sit while you roll the crust. The sugar will draw out apple juices that become your filling's sauce.

   Taste a chile before adding it. Heat varies wildly. If yours are particularly fierce, use a bit less. The warmth should intrigue, not assault.
5. 5

   Roll and fit the bottom crust

   On a floured surface, roll the larger dough disk into a circle about twelve inches across and an eighth-inch thick. Roll from the center outward, rotating the dough quarter-turns to maintain an even circle. Transfer to a nine-inch pie plate by draping the dough over your rolling pin. Ease it into the corners without stretching. Stretched dough shrinks during baking. Trim edges to leave a half-inch overhang. Refrigerate while you roll the top.

6. 6

   Fill the pie

   Pour the apple mixture into the chilled crust, mounding higher in the center because the apples will settle as they cook. Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top. These melt into the filling, enriching every bite.

7. 7

   Top and seal

   Roll the second dough disk to eleven inches. You can lay it whole over the filling, cutting steam vents in a decorative pattern, or cut it into strips for a lattice that shows the green-flecked filling beneath. Either is correct. Trim the overhang, fold the edges under, and crimp with a fork or flute with your fingers. Refrigerate the assembled pie for twenty minutes while the oven heats.

   A lattice top is traditional for this pie because it lets guests see those chile flecks and understand what they're about to experience.
8. 8

   Apply egg wash and bake

   Heat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the egg with cream and brush the mixture over the top crust, avoiding pools in the crimps. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar for sparkle and crunch. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips. Bake for twenty minutes until the crust sets and begins to color.

9. 9

   Reduce heat and finish

   Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for thirty-five to forty-five minutes more. The pie is done when the crust is deep golden brown and the filling bubbles thickly through the vents or lattice. If the edges brown too quickly, shield them with foil. The bubbling is essential: it means the flour has thickened the juices and you won't have a watery filling.

10. 10

    Cool before slicing

    Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least two hours. Patience is painful here, but a hot pie will run across the plate in a soupy mess. The filling needs time to set. Serve barely warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a pour of cold cream. The chile heat emerges more prominently as the pie cools.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh Hatch chiles appear in markets from August through September. Buy extra and freeze them roasted for year-round pie making. Frozen chiles keep beautifully for six months.
• •If Hatch chiles prove impossible to find, Anaheim chiles make an acceptable substitute, though with less complexity. Canned diced green chiles work in a pinch: drain and pat them very dry before adding to the filling.
• •The cumin is subtle but essential. It bridges the chile flavor to the apple in a way cinnamon alone cannot. Trust me on this.
• •For an all-butter crust, substitute an additional half cup of cold butter for the lard. The texture will be slightly less tender but still excellent. True New Mexicans would shake their heads, but they'd still eat a slice.
• •This pie tastes even better the next day when the flavors have married. Store loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.

Advance Preparation

• •Pie dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •The apple filling can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated. Drain any accumulated juices before adding to the crust.
• •The fully baked pie keeps at room temperature, loosely covered, for 2 days. Refrigerate after that and gently rewarm slices in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 148g)