EDNA LEWIS'S RHUBARB PIE

Edna Lewis's Rhubarb Pie image

The chef and cookbook writer Edna Lewis believed that the key to spring cooking was a light hand, and here she goes easy on rhubarb, sweetening it just a little with sugar and nutmeg. This recipe, which was featured in The Times in 1991, tempers the rhubarb's natural tartness a bit but still allows it through, showcasing the fruit's natural texture.

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 1h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups, plus 2 teaspoons, sifted flour, plus additional flour for rolling the pastry
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled lard, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup cold water
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

Steps:

To make the crust, put 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a bowl with the salt and lard and combine quickly with fingertips. Add the water and stir to combine; the dough will be sticky. Add the remaining flour, form into a ball and put in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough in two. Lightly flour a board; roll half the dough to cover the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan and put it in the pan. Flour the board again, and roll out the remaining dough. Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3/4-inch strips and put on wax paper.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. To make the filling, combine the sugar, nutmeg and cornstarch in a bowl. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of this mixture on the pastry in the pie pan. Combine the remaining sugar mixture with the rhubarb and fill the pie. Moisten the rim of the pastry with water and make a latticework top over the pie with the dough strips. Crimp the edges well. Bake pie for 40 minutes .

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 249, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 313 milligrams, Sugar 23 grams