Strawberry Meringue Pie
Adapted from Still Life with Menu
Preparation time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
This pie is cheerful, refreshing, and very
pink. It tastes best if eaten the day it's made.
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The crust can be made several days ahead
and refrigerated, unbaked, in an airtight plastic bag. It can also
be frozen.
For the filling, separate the eggs well ahead of time, so both
the yolks and whites can come to room temperature.
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Crust
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour (plus extra
for rolling)
6 tablespoons cold butter
Approximately 3 tablespoons cold milk
- Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor fitted
with the steel blade. Cut the butter into small pieces, add it to
the flour, then pulse until it becomes a uniform mixture resembling
coarse cornmeal.
- Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, pausing after each addition
until the dough holds together. (You may not need all of the
milk.)
- Flour a clean, dry surface, and roll out the dough to fit a
9-inch pie pan, using extra flour to prevent sticking as you roll.
Form a crust with artfully fluted edges.
- To bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a piece of foil
on the inside of the crust, and add about 1/1 2 cups pie weights or
raw, dried beans, spreading them evenly. (This will help the crust
keep its shape as it bakes without filling.) Bake for 15 minutes,
then remove the foil and weights or beans. Continue to bake the
empty crust another 4 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool
thoroughly before filling.
Filling
3 large eggs
4 cups sliced strawberries
4 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1 1.2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the
whites in a larger one. Cover both bowls and set aside.
- Place the strawberries in a medium-sized saucepan. Without
adding any liquid, cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes over medium heat,
until soup-like. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in another, larger saucepan, combine the cornstarch
or arrowroot, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Stir in the lemon juice,
whisking until uniform.
- Beat the egg yoks until smooth, then drizzle them into the
cornstarch mixture, beating constantly.
- Continue beating the mixture as you slowly pour in the hot
strawberries with all their liquid. Place the saucepan over medium
heat and cook the mixture until thick, stirring constantly (but not
too fast) with a wooden spoon. This should take about 5
minutes.
- Set the strawberry mixture aside to cool for about 15
minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F. Beat the egg whites
until they form soft peaks.
- Transfer the strawberry filling to the crust, and spoon the
beaten egg whites over the top, spreading the meringue to the edges
of the crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the
meringue is delicately browned. Cool thoroughly (but do not chill)
before serving.