American Rhubarb Pie

the pie plant in its native form: tart rhubarb stalks thickened with a little cornstarch and sweetened generously, enclosed in a crisp double-crust shortcrust pastry with a lattice top, the New England pie that christened rhubarb 'the pie plant' across the American Northeast

Origin: New England and the American Northeast

From the journey of Rhubarb.

The American 'pie plant' (the name rhubarb acquired as it spread through the kitchen gardens of New England and the northern states in the early 19th century) says everything about how rhubarb was understood in the American culinary context. Where British cooks had developed a range of preparations for the tart stalk, American domesticity channelled it into the pie above all other forms, in the same way that the American kitchen channelled almost every fruit and berry into the pie. The pie was the democratic form: a practical, portable, self-contained preparation that could be made from almost any sweetened filling, required no special equipment or refined technique, and could be served from a farmhouse table or a hotel dining room with equal conviction. The rhubarb pie of the New England tradition is a straightforward preparation: raw rhubarb pieces tossed with sugar, a thickener (cornstarch or, in older recipes, flour), and sometimes a flavouring (orange zest, vanilla, a little cinnamon), enclosed in a double-crust pastry and baked until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. The lattice top (strips of pastry woven or simply laid in a crosshatch over the filling) is the most classic treatment, allowing steam to escape and the brilliant colour of the filling to show through, transforming the pie from a closed package into a display of the fruit within. The rhubarb-only pie, tart and uncomplicated, has a directness that many American bakers prefer to the more popular strawberry-rhubarb combination: the flavour is purer, the colour is more vivid, and the acidity more pronounced.

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 300 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 0.5 tsp fine salt
  • 170 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 80 ml ice-cold water

Filling

  • 900 g rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
  • 280 g caster sugar (or to taste, rhubarb varies in tartness)
  • 40 g cornstarch (cornflour)
  • 1 orange, zest finely grated
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 15 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (to dot over filling)

Topping

  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk (for egg wash)
  • 1 tbsp demerara sugar (for sprinkling)

Method

  1. Make the pastry: in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and, using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter), rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Add ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time, stirring with a fork, until the dough just comes together. Divide into two equal discs, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) with a baking sheet placed on the lowest rack (this helps cook the bottom crust). Toss the rhubarb pieces with the sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Leave to macerate for 10 minutes while you roll the pastry.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of pastry to a circle about 33 cm in diameter. Carefully drape into a 23 cm pie dish, pressing gently into the base and sides. Trim the overhang to about 2 cm. Refrigerate while you roll the second disc for the lattice top.
  4. Roll the second pastry disc to roughly the same size. For a lattice, cut into strips about 2 cm wide using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Alternatively, leave it whole for a double-crust pie. Pour the rhubarb filling into the lined pie dish and dot the surface with the small pieces of cold butter.
  5. Lay lattice strips over the filling in a woven or crosshatch pattern, or lay the whole pastry disc over and cut steam vents. Fold and crimp the overhanging pastry edges to seal. Brush all over with egg wash and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
  6. Place on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 220°C for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (160°C fan) and bake for a further 35–40 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling is visibly bubbling through the lattice. Cover the edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.
  7. Leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. The filling continues to set as it cools; cutting into a hot pie produces a runny, soupy filling. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

The pie is best on the day of baking but keeps well at room temperature for 2 days; refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat briefly in the oven rather than a microwave to revive the pastry's crispness. For a deeper, more complex flavour, replace 2 tablespoons of the orange juice with the same amount of strawberry juice or a tablespoon of rose water; the rhubarb's flavour will remain primary but with an aromatic floral depth. The amount of sugar is a matter of personal preference and rhubarb variety; very tart outdoor rhubarb may need the full 280 g, while sweeter forced or early-season rhubarb may need only 220 g.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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