Strawberries and rhubarb, the original jam session! I wanted to get this recipe into your hands before your local markets were bursting with the ritualistic first wave of rhubarb and the inevitable parade of strawberries that follows. If you’re a planner, unlike myself, right now your local garden centre is selling bare root strawberries and established rhubarb ready to go in the garden. Do yourself a favor and grab a couple dozen strawberries and at least two rhubarb. Toss those into your garden, then thank me next year when you are drowning in backyard-sourced berries and ‘barb.
Fruit Fill
- 1050 grams (6 ¾ cups) diced strawberries
- 900 grams (7 ½ cups) sliced rhubarb
- 432 grams (2 ⅛ cups) granulated sugar
- 180 gram (1 ½ cups) cornstarch
Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together, then mix in a bowl with the strawberries and rhubarb. Ensure all fruit is evenly coated and allow it to sit to pull out juices from both fruits.
Pastry
- 272 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 grams (½ tsp) salt
- 80 grams (5 tbsp) butter
- 80 grams (5 tbsp) shortening
- 90 ml (6 tbsp) ice-cold water
Toss all dry pie dough ingredients into your mixing bowl of choice, and blend until the fats are no larger than a pea, but be wary not to overmix. Add your ice-cold water and mix just until homogenous, avoiding over mixing at all costs. Divide in half, roll out, then place the bottom crust in a 10” pie tin. Roll out your top crust and mark with your favorite shape – I always seem to put hearts on top of my strawberry rhubarb which leads to a beating heart when it’s baked. Crimp your edges, brush with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.
Transfer the unbaked pie into your oven that is preheated at 325° and bake until it is bubbly/golden or until your kitchen smells like you actually have your life together – roughly 60 minutes. This pie is best described as a mullet: sweet in the front and tart in the back.
