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<\/a><\/div>\nThe first time I baked this pie it felt like magic when I took it out of the oven.
\nNot only has this dish been around for centuries, I got to taste a bit of Britain’s beautiful food heritage. There are quite a few cookery books around that were written more than hundreds of years ago and are still influencing cooks today.
\nLike in politics, we are supposed to learn from our history. So whenever I am cooking a dish I research it to find out how it was prepared by the Elizabethans, Victorians, Edwardians and learn about how tastes changed and some things just stayed the same.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nI am eternally grateful to Florence White<\/a> who wrote the book ‘Good things in England’. Born in 1863 she was the first ever freelance journalist specializing in food and English cooking in particular. Another interesting read about English traditional cooking are the books from Jane Grigson<\/a>, some of the recipes in her books are from or inspired by Isabella Beeton<\/a>, the author of the book ‘Mrs Beetons’s Book of Household Management<\/a>‘ in 1861. This pie is inspired by Jane Grigson<\/a>‘s Blaeberry pie from the 70s. Blaeberries are known in England by various of local names, these include Bilberries, Wimberries and myrtle blueberries. In Ireland they are known as Fraughan and are traditionally picked on Fraughan sunday on the last sunday of july. By chance while I write this, it’s the last sunday of July. So this pie is for the harvest and the start of a whole new chapter in my life… but more on that at a later date. What do you need<\/b> For the pastry<\/b>\u00a0<\/i> \u2022 250 g plain white flour You can do this with a food processor, but I like to do it by hand.<\/i><\/p>\n Mix flour and sugar. For the filling<\/b><\/p>\n \u2022 500 g blueberries<\/b> Mix the sugar with the cornflour When the dough has rested enough. Roll out your dough on a flowered surface. Put the pie in the bottom part of the oven for 15 min at 220\u00b0 When ready, leave it to rest for 20 minutes so the fruit can set a bit.<\/p>\n Enjoy with a dollop of clotted cream, double cream or ice cream.<\/p>\n
\nFor the creation of the book she went out looking for traditional British recipes that were handed down in families for generations. Some of the regional recipes that she found or had been sent by her readers, dated back as far as the 14th century.
\nIn 1931 she founded the ‘English Folk Cookery Association’ and later she set up a cookery and domestic training school in Fareham.<\/p>\n
\nBoth White and Beeton’s books influenced the work of Elizabeth David<\/a> and so do we go on to keep British food heritage alive.<\/p>\n
\nThese days puff pastry is more popular for fruit pies but in the old days Shortcrust pastry would have been used.
\nI am not a big fan of puff pastry and when I read about Flaky Shortcrust pastry in Beeton’s book I thought I would give it a try. The recipe was very similar to my recipe for savoury pie pastry<\/a>.
\nThe pie worked best with the Flaky Shortcrust pastry, I added a pinch of sugar to the dough and used sparkling water instead of still water.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nBilberries were gathered by the Gaelic on the feast of Lughnasadh<\/a> which is celebrated on the first of August. The Bilberries were gathered to bake pies and make wine.
\nLughnasadh is a harvest celebration, a time when food is plenty and has to be preserved for the more lean days ahead in the year.
\nI am fascinated by these feasts which all celebrate food, fertility and life. Things were so simple and so straight forward. People were looking forward to the first berries and now we can buy them all year long. We are losing our connection with the seasons…<\/p>\n
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\na 22 cm pie dish, I used enamelware <\/a><\/p>\n
\nthis recipe is for a pie in a 22 cm pie dish, including the bottom part, I only use the top for this pie so you will have some leftover dough to freeze or make little pies with<\/i><\/p>\n
\n\u2022 150 g cold butter
\n\u2022 1\/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
\n\u2022 100ml ice cold sparklingwater
\n\u2022 pinch of sugar
\n\u2022 1 egg white for egg washing the pastry<\/p>\n
\nFinely slice half of the butter finely into the flour, shake the bowl so the butter is covered in flour.
\nUse a round knife to cut the butter into smaller pieces until the mixture resembles crumbs. You can also use a fork to do this.
\nPut in the fridge for 30 minutes
\nNow add the other half of the butter and do the same thing, cutting the butter into smaller pieces.
\nAdd the lemon juice to the water
\nStart adding the water to the flour and butter, bring the dough together.
\nMake sure you don’t over handle the dough, when it gets sticky, refrigerate again.
\nThe dough needs to stay cool.
\nWhen you’ve managed to bring the dough together into a large lump, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1 hour.
\nNow prepare your pie filling<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 85 g cane sugar (you can add 100g if you like things very sweet)
\n\u2022 1 level tablespoon of cornflour (cornstarch)<\/p>\n
\nAdd a layer of berries to the pie dish
\nAdd a layer of sugar and cornflour mixture and keep on doing this until the pie dish is slightly heaped with fruit.<\/p>\n
\nPreheat your oven to 220\u00b0<\/p>\n
\nIt should be half a cm thick.
\nLine the pastry over the pie dish filled with fruit and trim the edges.
\nGive the pastry a generous egg wash
\nscore the middle of the pastry with a sharp knife so the steam can get out.<\/p>\n
\nAfter 15 min reduce the heat to 180\u00b0 and bake for 20-30 minutes<\/p>\n