Raspberry Pie

the summer pie of the Pacific Northwest: a deep lattice-topped pie of fresh raspberries lightly thickened and baked in a flaky butter crust until the juices run scarlet, eaten warm with cream or vanilla ice cream

Origin: The Pacific Northwest of the United States

From the journey of Raspberry.

The cool, moist maritime climate of the Pacific Northwest, from the Willamette Valley of Oregon through western Washington and into the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, made the region the heart of the North American raspberry crop, and the raspberry pie is its high-summer expression. It belongs to the great American tradition of the fruit pie, the double-crust or lattice-topped pie baked in a flaky butter or lard crust and eaten warm, and it treats the raspberry with a light hand: the fresh fruit is tossed with just enough sugar to balance its tartness and just enough starch to catch the copious juice, then heaped into the crust and baked until the filling bubbles scarlet through the lattice. The lattice top, as well as being handsome, lets the abundant juice of the raspberry escape as steam so the filling thickens rather than flooding, and it shows off the deep colour of the fruit beneath. Unlike a jam or a cooked filling, the raspberry pie keeps the bright, fresh flavour of the ripe summer berry, and it is eaten warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the juices or a jug of cold cream poured over: the definitive way to eat a glut of high-season raspberries in the American West.

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 350 g plain flour
  • 225 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 90 ml iced water (approximately)

Filling

  • 900 g fresh raspberries
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 40 g cornstarch (cornflour)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 pinch fine salt

To Finish

  • 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar, to sprinkle

Method

  1. Make the pastry: rub or pulse the cold butter into the flour, salt, and sugar until the mixture holds pea-sized flecks of butter. Add just enough iced water to bring it to a dough, divide in two (one piece slightly larger), flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
  2. Roll out the larger disc and line a 23 cm pie dish, leaving an overhang. Chill it while you make the filling. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), with a baking tray inside to heat.
  3. Gently toss the raspberries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt, taking care not to crush them. Pile the filling into the chilled crust, mounding it slightly in the centre.
  4. Roll out the second disc and cut into strips. Lay them over the filling in a lattice, trimming and crimping the edges to seal to the base. Brush the lattice with beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
  5. Bake on the hot tray for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C (160°C fan) and bake for a further 30 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the juices are bubbling thickly through the lattice. Cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.

Notes

The long cooling is essential; a raspberry pie cut hot will flood the plate, as the starch-thickened juices need time to set. If the crust edges brown too fast, shield them with foil. The filling can be made with a mixture of raspberries and blackberries or with a proportion of black raspberries for a deeper colour. Frozen raspberries work but should be tossed with the sugar and starch while still frozen and given a little extra cornstarch, as they release more liquid. Vanilla ice cream is the classic American accompaniment.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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