Recipe: Classic Rhubarb Pie
If it's rhubarb season, it's time to make a pie. In this recipe, it's rhubarb straight up.
Rhubarb season generally means one thing to diehard rhubarb lovers: Time to make a pie. Some like to add strawberries, but I’m kind of a purist and I prefer not to gussy up my pie with strawberries. They interfere with the essential fabulous tartness, which is the whole point. I take it straight. I adore rhubarb with raspberries, but that’s dessert for another time.
As the season goes on and my rhubarb keeps growing, there will be crisps, crumbles and compotes but to me, pie is the highest tribute. When we bought our house, we inherited four amazing rhubarb plants. I think it was one of the reasons we signed the papers. Now we joyfully celebrate our second rhubarb season. Growing strong. With pie.
Taste your rhubarb to decide how much sugar you’d like or need to use. Don’t go much under a cup. My rhubarb is sweet (comparatively) and a cup was about right. If it’s quite tart, use the larger amount. Cinnamon enhances rhubarb’s flavor, but it’s optional. Your pie will cut better if it cools overnight but the crust will be crisper the day it’s baked. All up to you.
Classic Rhubarb Pie
Pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie, divided into 2 disks
Flour for rolling
Egg wash: 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon cream or milk
Filling:
1 to 1¼ cups granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (use a tablespoon more flour for a firmer pie)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
5 cups sliced rhubarb (1/4-inch pieces), about 1¼ pounds
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. On a lightly floured board, with a floured rolling pin, roll out one piece of pastry to a 12-inch round about 1/8-inch thick. Fold it into quarters, brushing off the excess flour. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate and trim the edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Refrigerate while making the filling.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour and cinnamon, if using. Add the rhubarb, drizzle with the lemon juice and mix well. Pile into the rolled-out pastry shell. Dot with the butter. Lightly moisten the edges of the crust with egg wash.
4. Roll the second piece of dough to a 12-inch round. Using a ruler and a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut out strips about ½-inch wide. Spacing them about ½-inch apart, place half of the strips vertically and the other half horizontally across the top of the pie. I don’t weave them. Reroll scraps if you need to. Fold over the bottom crust to enclose the strips and press with the tines of a floured fork.
5. Brush the crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 50 to 60 more minutes, or until the crust is browned and the juices bubble up and are thickened. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
