asian pear pie

pearpie.md

Ingredients

For the crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rye flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter, cold
• 2/3 cup ice water

For the filling

• 2 tablespoons unsalted cultured butter
• 2 fresh bay leaves, or 4 dried
• 2 - 3 large Asian pears, cored and cut 1/4-inch thick (3 cups sliced)
• 1 - 2 large Honey Crisp apples, cored and cut 1/4-inch thick (2 cups sliced)
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tablespoon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. To make the crust, combine flour, sea salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Grate in cold butter, using fingertips to blend into flour until mixture has a crumbly texture. Turning dough with a silicone spatula, drizzle in water, adding just enough for dough to hold together.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a mound. Divide dough in half, flatten each round into a disc, and wrap each tightly with plastic. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes or up to 5 days.
3. Set a small saucepan over low heat. Add butter and bay leaves. Turn heat to the lowest setting; steep leaves until pie is filled.
4. Position oven rack in the center of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Slide a rimmed baking sheet in to preheat as well. Generously butter a 9-inch metal pie pan (you will be freezing shell, and ceramic or glass dishes can shatter).
5. Prepare pears and apples, tossing with all the remaining filling ingredients except bay butter and egg whites. Set aside while you roll out dough.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the dough discs out into a 14-inch round. Press into pie pan, trimming all but a 1-inch overhang. Set pie shell in freezer while you roll out the top.
7. To make leaf design, pile leftover dough trimmings into a disc and roll into a 5 x 7-inch rectangle. Set on a flat surface (like a plate) and slide into the freezer.
8. Roll the second disc into a 14-inch round. Fill frozen pie shell with filling, leaving behind any excess juices. Remove bay leaves from butter; drizzle bay-infused butter over pie filling. Place top crust over filling. Trim any overhanging dough; tuck top dough layer under along the edges and flute. Set pie shell back in freezer. Remove reserved 5 x 7-inch dough rectangle.
9. With a sharp knife, cut out leaf patterns and trace vein designs.
10. Remove pie from freezer. Brush all over with egg white. Arrange leaves, brush those with egg white, and sprinkle the top with sugar. Cut several slits in center of pie.
11. Set on preheated baking sheet, slide into oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, turn heat down to 350 degrees, and bake 30 - 35 minutes longer, or until crust is a rich golden hue.
12. Cool 2 hours, slice, and serve.