Rustic pouch pies

By Marlene Parrish
Los Angeles Times Syndicate

Rustic pies are homely and old-fashioned. Also quick and easy on the cook. If you love homemade pie but are scared to make the dough or think it's too tricky to flute the edges, I've got news for you. Rustic, bottom-crust pies, also called pouch pies, are so baker-friendly that any novice can tackle one.

The secret is an all-in-one, free-form crust. No top crust, no lattice, no fluting. Just roll out the dough, fit it into the pan, add filling, flop the edge of the dough over the filling and bake.

I've made Italian prune plum, apricot, nectarine and apple pies. A late summer favorite at our house is peach with a handful of blueberries tossed in for surprise. In autumn, we like savory mushroom, green tomato or sweet Italian spinach pie. But berries and orchard fruits seem to be the most popular fillings.

You can custom-design your own rustic pies, depending how much and what kind of fruit you have on hand. Just follow a general formula:

-- For 2 cups chopped fruit, figure 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, spices and salt. Make dough using 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening and 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water.

Use an 8-inch tart pan with fitted base for a 4-serving pie.

-- For 4 cups chopped fruit, figure 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, spices and salt. Make dough using 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening and 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water.

Use an 8-inch pie plate for a smallish 5- to 6-serving pie.

-- For 5 to 6 cups fruit, figure 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, spices and salt. Make dough using 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening and 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water. Use a 9-inch pie plate for 6 generous servings.

Assemble the rustic pie together like this:

Place the tart pan or pie plate on a tray or drip pan. Roll out the dough in an even, wide circle so that when you fit the dough into the pan there will be about 2 to 3 inches of dough overhanging.

Fit the dough into the pan. Add the filling, even out the top and dot with butter if you like.

Fold the wide overhanging edge of the dough in towards the center to cover the outer portion of the filling. Pinch or patch any cracks to avoid leaks.

Leave a 4- to 5-inch opening of exposed filling. The filling will be encased in a pastry pouch. Brush the dough with water or milk and sprinkle with sugar if you like.

In general, bake the pie at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes for small pies or up to 60 minutes for bigger ones. The filling should bubble energetically for about 5 to 10 minutes.

I prefer cornstarch to flour or tapioca as a thickener. Flour gives a cloudy liquid and the high acid content of some fruits can neutralize its thickening power. Tapioca won't work well in an open-faced pie because any exposed starch won't dissolve. Cornstarch, on the other hand, does its pie-thickening work in just a few minutes, the filling glistens and flows and, besides, my mother did it that way, and that's the way I like it.

There are various schools of thought concerning shortening and how to roll the pie dough. As for shortening, I use Crisco because it makes a flaky pastry every time. No butter, no vinegar, no eggs, no oil. Crisco works.

Many bakers roll the dough on a floured board. Most of the time I prefer to roll dough between sheets of wax paper. For me, it's easier to control the shape and thickness.

Remember these last few things before you start:

-- Fruit pies frequently bubble over, so put a drip-pan -- an old pizza pan is perfect -- under the pie plate in the oven unless you like to scrape up charred sugar juices.

-- Most pies taste best when served warm, but never cut a pie when it's hot from the oven. The fillings have to vent steam, settle down and thicken as they cool.

Italian Prune Plum Pie

Makes 6 servings.

Glorious in their short season, prune plums are better cooked than raw. The skins yield crimson juices and the flesh turns tangy. They are refreshing when stewed with sugar and cinnamon, and like money in the bank with raisins, garlic and ginger in chutney. But pies show them off best with a salty crust playing off their sweet and tart flavor. If the plums are very ripe, add less sugar but more cornstarch. If they are a little hard and on the green side, add more sugar and less cornstarch.

• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, plus additional for top
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Dash salt
• 5 cups Italian prune plums (about 30), halved, seeded and cut into half-moons
• 1 (14-inch) circle of unbaked pie dough (pastry for one 2-crust pie, recipe below)
• 1 tablespoon butter

In large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and mix to combine. Add plums, mix and set aside.

Prepare recipe for pastry. Roll out to 14-inch circle. Fit dough into 9-inch pie pan. There will be wide overhang of pastry.

Add prune plum filling, even out top and dot with pieces of butter. Fold overhanging edge of pastry in toward center to cover outer portion of filling, leaving about 5-inch opening. Try to avoid any leaky places in pastry by patching dough if necessary. Using fingers, dab crust with few drops water. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees and continue to bake until filling has bubbled about 15 minutes and crust is brown, 45 minutes.

Quickie Small Plum Pie

Line 8-inch tart pan (quiche pan is OK) with pastry plus 1 1/2- to 2-inch overhang.

Combine 2 cups sliced prune plums (about 12 plums), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and dash each of ground cinnamon and salt. Pour filling into shell and even top.

Dot with 1 teaspoon butter. Flip crust up over filling, leaving opening about 3 inches wide. Bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes, then continue baking at 375 degrees 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and brown.

Harvest Apple Pie

Makes 6 servings.

Green-skinned Granny Smith apples are a good choice, but so is any apple that is tart, crisp and holds its shape during baking. Brown sugar in the filling adds a dark caramel quality to the baked pie and balances the tartness of the apples. Because fruit varies greatly, fillings made with juicier apples bubble quickly and pies made with drier fruits take a bit longer. But once the bubbling point is reached, the cooking time needs to be accurate so that the consistency of the filling gives the pie a good cutting quality. It's important to bake this pie and all fruit pies until the juices have bubbled for 15 minutes. Cheddar cheese, with its earthy flavors, is a perfect partner.

• 6 cups peeled tart apples (about 6)
• Squeeze of lemon juice, optional
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14-inch circle) of unbaked pie dough (pastry for one 2-crust pie, recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Milk, granulated sugar for top

Core, peel, quarter apples and slice uniformly. Taste and if they are not tart, add squeeze of lemon juice.

Combine sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add apples. Mix well and set aside to let juices form.

Prepare pastry. Roll out to 14-inch circle. Fit dough into 9-inch pie shell. There will be wide overhang of pastry.

Add filling, even out and dot with butter. Fold overhanging edge of pastry in toward center to cover outer portion of filling, leaving about 5-inch opening of filling. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place pie on drip-pan in lower third of oven. Bake at 425 degrees 15 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees and continue baking 45 to 60 minutes until pie has bubbled 15 minutes and crust is golden. If filling looks dry and not bubbly, loosely cover opening with piece of foil about 15 minutes.

Transfer pie to rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Savory Mushroom Pie

Makes 6 servings.

Make this wonderful, woodsy pie when mushrooms are abundant and available. Use one or a combination of richly flavored mushrooms such as cremini, porcini and chanterelles. Add 1 or 2 portobellos to the mix or even white button mushrooms.

Brush the mushrooms to clean them, but don't rinse in water. Serve wedges of pie for a light supper or lunch with a tartly dressed green salad. This pie may also be made with a traditional double crust.

• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions (about 3 or 4 medium)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 8 cups chopped mushrooms, assorted
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup Marsala wine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 (14-inch circle) unbaked pie dough (pastry for one 2-crust pie, recipe below)
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Saute onions in butter in very large skillet over medium heat. When soft and golden but not brown, add mushrooms and thyme.

When mushrooms release juices and are reduced in volume, add Marsala and continue cooking until juices are reduced by half. Add salt and plenty of pepper.

Sprinkle with flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes until juices thicken slightly. Remove from heat. Cool filling before placing in crust.

Prepare recipe for pastry for 1 double crust pie. Roll out to 14-inch circle. Fit dough into 9-inch pie shell. There will be wide overhang of pastry. Add cooled mushrooms and even out top. Fold overhanging edge of pastry in toward center to cover outer portion of filling, leaving about 5-inch opening.

In small dish, break up egg with fork and thin with water. Gently brush egg wash on top crust with fingertips or soft pastry brush.

Bake at 400 degrees 30 to 35 minutes until crust is golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy-Roll Pouch Pie Pastry

Most professional pastry chefs recommend that you chill pie dough and roll it out on a floured board. But novices and occasional bakers can use this unconventional method to make perfect flaky pie crust every time. Roll the dough between sheets of wax paper and the pastry will always have an even thickness and an even edge with a minimum of handling. Try it and you may never use the floured board method again.

8-inch Pouch Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold Crisco shortening
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
• Filling of choice (recipes above)

9-inch Pouch Pie Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold Crisco shortening
• 5 tablespoons cold water
• Filling of choice (recipes above)

Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup. Measure into large bowl and add salt.

Cut in shortening with pastry blender until it has appearance of coarse pebbles. Sprinkle water, 1 tablespoon at time, onto flour mixture. Mix gently with fork. Use only enough water to make dough clump together loosely. With hand, gently clump dough together.

Place ball of dough onto rectangle of wax paper. It will be little crumbly. Cover with second sheet of wax paper. Roll dough into thick disk. (When rolling, always start in middle of dough and stroke rolling pin away from you towards outside edge, turning dough clockwise as you go.)

Edge will be cracked and uneven. To correct this, lift edge of top paper and press dough in toward center with fingertips to make neat round edge. (Do this once or twice more as you roll.)

Lower wax paper and continue rolling until circle of dough is 3 to 4 inches wider than inverted pie plate. Some of dough will have eased out from paper. Dab with flour to keep it from sticking.

Peel off top sheet of wax paper and discard. Use bottom sheet to help pick up pastry (it will adhere and not slip) and invert over pie plate. Center pastry.

Carefully peel off paper. If dough sticks, start peeling in another place. Ease pastry down into pie plate, pressing lightly on sides and bottom for good fit. There will be about 2 to 3 inches of dough overhanging.

Add filling, even out and dot with butter, if desired. Fold overhanging edge of pie shell in towards center to cover outer portion of filling. Leave 4- to 5-inch opening of exposed filling. Filling is encased in pastry pouch. Brush dough with water or milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

In general, bake fruit pies at 425 degrees 15 minutes, then lower heat to 375 degrees and bake about 40 minutes for small pies or up to 60 minutes for bigger ones. Filling should bubble energetically about 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool and bring to room temperature before slicing.

(Marlene Parrish is a cookbook author and food writer based in Pittsburgh. She is a 2000 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner.)

(c) 2000, Marlene Parrish. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.