Fresh Strawberry Pie
There are only two ways I like to eat strawberries: fresh or cooked all way down into jam. Nothing in between. Any sort of cooked or stewed strawberry grosses me out. It’s the texture. Do not ever serve me a cooked strawberry pie. No knocking anyone who enjoys cooked strawberries, but I do not.
The flavor and aroma compounds in strawberries shine best when they’re raw. Plus you get that juicy strawberry texture. That’s why this pie involves no cooking of strawberries at all. The crust is the only thing that’s cooked. It’s all about amplified fresh strawberry flavor in a crust.
The gelatin in the filling holds the pie together without being too firm or too liquid—you get a beautiful slice. The freeze-dried strawberries amplify the fresh strawberry flavor. Most importantly: Taste your strawberries. If they taste great, make this pie. If they don’t taste like anything, then make something else. The quality of this pie is determined by the quality of your strawberries.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
Crust
1 blind baked Flaky Pie Crust in a 9-inch pie pan (a graham cracker, pretzel crust, or even a sweet shortcrust would also be great), cooled
For the Strawberry Filling
About 3 pounds (1360 g) of fresh strawberries
Wash and hull the strawberries then place them in a large bowl. Cut any large ones in half, then chill them in the refrigerator. Check if you have the right amount by dumping them into an empty pie pan (if you have an extra). It should fill the pan, with a bit of a mound in the middle.
Strawberry Puree
12 ounces (340 g) fresh strawberries (in addition to the 3 pounds of strawberries above)
150 g (3/4 cup sugar)
1/4 tsp salt
28 g freeze-dried strawberry powder (or 28 g freeze-dried strawberries)
2 Tablespoons water
2 1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin powder (1 packet of powdered gelatin)
In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the water, then sprinkle over the gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Wash and hull the 12 ounces of strawberries, then plop them in a blender or food processor, followed by the sugar, salt, and freeze-dried strawberry powder. Process or blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Take the bloomed gelatin and put it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, stopping after the first 10 seconds. You want to completely melt the gelatin, but stop microwaving once it is fully melted. (If you boil it, it may lose its setting power.) add the melted gelatin to the strawberry puree and whisk thoroughly to combine.
Remove the strawberries from the refrigerator and pour the puree over them. Toss them to coat in the gelatin mixture. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the strawberries into the baked pie shell. You may need to push or arrange the strawberries to get them in. It’s OK if it’s piled high. Carefully spoon the remaining puree over the strawberries to fill in any gaps.
Chill the pie for at least two hours.
Serve with whipped cream!
The pie is best the same day (while the crust is crunchiest), but it will last just fine for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap after its completely chilled.
Pro Tip:
How do you pick the best strawberries? First: smell. If you walk buy some strawberries at the grocery store or a farmers’ market and you can smell them—they’re probably great. Avoid any strawberries that look soft or mushy. Fresh, locally-grown strawberries usually taste best. I got two quarts of local strawberries for the most recent iteration of this pie, and they were sublime. At the market, I leaned down to smell them. That intoxicating, almost pineapple-y aroma wafted up from the little teal paper containers. Time to make this pie.
