Oh My, Pie!
Fennel-Raisin Pie
Fennel-Raisin Pie
This pie’s texture is something like old-school chess pie with fruit in it—if that were even possible. When you get the cooked fennel into the food processor, take care not to liquefy it. Pulse, don’t process. You want many bits of fennel—no big chunks, of course, but a little chew to turn this rich filling into something extraordinary. Note that the crust is rolled out to a larger diameter circle than usual to create a thick lip to contain the very wet filling.
Fennel-Raisin Pie
For the Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- At least ¼ cup very cold water
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the Filling
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (1½-pound) fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups golden raisins
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place oven rack in the center.
- To make the crust: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and olive oil; cut the fat into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until it all resembles coarse (but white) cornmeal.
- Stir ¼ cup of cold water and the vinegar in a small cup or bowl; then add it to the flour mixture. Stir until you have a soft, pliable, but not sticky dough, adding more cold water in 1-teaspoon increments as necessary. Gather the dough into a ball, dust it with flour, and roll it into a 12-inch circle. Set and center in a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the excess dough under itself to make a thick lip that stands up on the rim of the pie plate. Flute or ornament the edge at will. Lay a clean kitchen towel over the crust.
- To make the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the fennel, and cook, stirring often, until softened and sweet, about 10 minutes. Set aside off the heat to cool for 10 minutes.
- Put the sugar, egg, egg yolks, flour, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor; cover, and process until smooth. Add the raisins, and pulse to chop. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the food processor, cover, and pulse two or three times, just until the fennel has been chopped into fairly fine bits. Pour and scrape this mixture evenly into the prepared piecrust.
- To finish up: Bake the pie until set at the center and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 1½ hours or to room temperature before slicing into wedges. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Posted in Issue 80 Vol 2, Recipe on Nov 16, 2016