Apple Pie

pie crust dough
4.2 - 4.5 lbs Golden Delicious or Braeburn apples (10-11 medium)
150 g sugar

1 t cinnamon or ground grains of paradise
1/4 t salt
25 g tapioca starch

2 T liquid pectin

Make a full batch of pie crust dough.

Shape, freeze, and partially blind bake single crust.

Let cool.
Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Whisk together sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Coat apples evenly.

Seal apples and sous vide at 155 for an hour.

Optional:

    Strain liquid and reduce to 1/4 - 1/2 C.*

Off heat, make a slurry of reduced liquid and tapioca starch.

Whisk in remaining hot liquid and pectin.

Do not reheat.

Combine thickened cider with apples.
Shape and bake double crust as directed.
Bake at 425 for 10 mins.

Reduce heat to 400 for 15 mins.
Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 25 mins.

Check that internal temp has reached 175 before removing.

Cool at least 4 hours before serving.

seriouseats


Note 1:

My crust is based on that of Stella Parks.

She's also the only other person who believes in all grannies.

Pre-cooking to set the pectin in the apples is Kenji Lopez's idea.

Achieving that through a sous-vide is one of his options.
Combining tapioca flour and liquid pectin is Alton Brown's.

Spicing with grains of paradise is of course also Alton.

Note 2:

Tapioca starch sets between 145 and 193° F;

Boiled tapioca starch becomes stringy.

Pectin also breaks down when overheated.

Both tapioca and pectin are translucent and glossy.

Tapioca has a thickening property.

Pectin has a stronger gelling property.

Note 3:

Let's talk about thickeners.

Heat activated options are flour, corn starch, and tapioca starch.

Others are quick cooking tapioca, clearjel, and pie filling enhancer.

Flour and corn starch can be cloudy and gummy.

Quick cooking tapioca needs to rest 30 mins before baking.

Clearjel is a refined instant corn starch.

Pie filling enhancer is clearjel with sugar and ascorbic acid.

Frozen fruit needs more thickener than fresh.

Double crusted pies need more thickener than lattices.

Note 4:

Let's talk about pectin.

Pectin needs heat, acid, and sugar to activate.

Cherries, pears, and peaches have low pectin/acidity.

Rhubarb has low pectin and high acidity!!

Blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries have medium pectin/acidity.

Apples, plums, cranberries, and blackcurrants have high pectin/acidity.

Lower pectin/acidity fruits need more thickener.

Many people would not add pectin to apples but I like thick pies.

Note 5:  Cheater's Mince

No white sugar

2 large lemons

1 5.3 oz package candied orange peel (Trader Joe's)

1/4 C golden raisins, chopped

1/4 C tart cherries, chopped

1/4 C candied ginger, chopped

1/4 C figs, chopped

35 g brown sugar

1 T butter

1/2 t pumpkin pie spice

1/16 t salt

1/4 C brandy

1/4 C water

1 T extra brandy

Wash and thinly peel lemons.

Save juice for something else and finely chop peel.

Place lemons, orange, raisins, cherries, ginger, and figs into saucepan.

Add brown sugar, butter, spice, salt, 1/4 C brandy, and 1/4 C water.

Cook on medium high 5-10 mins.

Add extra brandy and stir 1 min.

Remove from heat and store in refrigerator.

Yields about 1 1/2 C - perfect for an apple mince pie.

LTK