CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics

bake for 40 more minutes, turning the pan front to back halfway through to ensure even browning. 8. Let the pasties cool on a wire rack until they’re cool enough to handle. Eat at any tem- perature, but warm is best. Wrap leftovers tightly, and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. PIE SCHOOL PASTRY CRUST This is the crust Kate taught in Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour & Butter, and it’s what she teach- es still. Use it for any of the pies in this book that call for pastry. To make an all-lard crust, just substitute cold leaf lard (rendered, of course) for the butter in this recipe. It behaves very similarly and makes an incredibly flaky crust with just a slight whiff of the savory—perfect for the Venison and Blackberry Pasties. MAKES 1 DOUBLE CRUST 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) well-chilled unsalted butter 1. Fill a spouted liquid measuring cup with about 1½ cups of water, plop in some ice cubes, and place it in the freezer while you prepare the next steps of the recipe. The idea is to have more water than you need for the recipe (which will probably use ½ cup or less) at a very cold temperature, not to actually freeze the water or use all 1½ cups in the dough. 2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut ½- to 1-tablespoon pieces of butter, and drop them into the flour. Toss the fat with the flour to evenly distribute it. 3. Position your hands palms up, fingers loosely curled. Scoop up flour and fat, and rub it between your thumb and fingers, letting it fall back into the bowl after rubbing. Do this, reaching into the bottom and around the sides to incorporate all the flour into the fat, until the mixture is slightly yellow, slightly damp. It should be chunky—mostly pea-size with some almond- and cherry-size pieces. The smaller bits should resemble coarse cornmeal. 4. Take the water out of the freezer. Pour it in a steady thin stream around the bowl for about 5 seconds. Toss to distribute the moisture. You’ll probably need to pour a little more water on and toss again. As you toss and the dough gets close to perfection, it will become a bit shaggy and slightly tacky to the touch. Press a small bit of the mixture together, and toss it gently in the air. If it breaks apart when you catch it, add more water, toss to distribute the moisture, and test again. If the dough ball keeps its shape, it’s done. (When all is said and done, you’ll have added about 1/3 to ½ cup water.) 5. With firm, brief pressure, gather the dough in 2 roughly equal balls (if one is larger, use that for the bottom crust). Quickly form the dough into thick disks using your palms and thumbs. Wrap the disks individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour to 3 days bef- ore rolling. ( c)2017 by Kate Lebo and Samuel Ligon. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Pie & Whiskey by permission of Sasquatch Books.

CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 15 Classics | Page 46