pear-and-ginger pie

[cellio]

This afternoon's barony meeting included a pie contest. Three categories were declared in advance: seasonal fruit, seasonal vegetable, and anything from a period source. Whimsy was also allowed, such as the geometrically-challenged rectangular apple dish. Until a few days ago I had been planning to enter a certain documentable apple/pear pie, but then the Cooks' Source thing happened and I figured that might be a popular choice. :-) (illadore is from our barony, though does not currently live here.) As it turned out, a fourth emergent category presented itself based on the entries: "stolen". :-) So I could have, but I didn't know that in advance so I instead skipped anything with apples and set out to experiment with pears.

Here's what I did, and I am not particularly fluent in dessert pies so I would definitely welcome feedback. (I was going to also make a savory one but discovered I was missing a key ingredient. Oops. Not that we wanted for pie to eat...)

Combine 1C sugar, about 2T ground ginger, and about 2T flour in a bowl. Peel and slice thinly six Bosc pears, and add to bowl. Stir until everything is distributed. Put filling into a 9" crust (deep-dish would have been better) and sprinkle the top with about a quarter cup of crystalized ginger (in very small pieces). Bake at 375 for about 50 minutes, covering the edges of the crust with foil for the first half.

I got the proportions of sugar, fruit, and flour from a modern recipe for apple pie. The pie was a little too juicy (some liquid spilled, too), so I needed more flour or less pear, I guess. But it's worth noting that the apple-pie recipe called for a top crust; I don't actually like pie crust all that much, so unless I'm redacting a period recipe that calls for it, I make my pies open. I don't know what effect that had on the juiciness.

I thought the pie was a little too sweet; next time I'll use no more than 3/4 cup of sugar.

I had expected the crystalized ginger to have more of an effect on the pie. And in fact, fresh out of the oven the little sample I baked alongside the pie was nicely gingery, but the full pie, cooled to room temperature, was not. Next time I'll mix the crystalized ginger in with the fruit.

This pie as I made it is parve. (I used a frozen pie crust that was also parve.) I wonder whether a little bit of butter in the filling would add to it (though then I'd have even more liquid on my hands).

Comments

[ichur72.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I find myself wanting to try this.

I'm not particularly skilled WRT fruit pies, but I think you might be able to cut the sugar all the way back to 1/2 cup. I sometimes make fruit tarts that are similar to your recipe but without the flour, and I use just enough sugar to coat the top of the fruit.

But now I'm thinking that a little butter plus the flour could be very good ...

[kayre]

I just did a very similar recipe, only the crystallized ginger was added to a typical streusel mixture; worked well, but I'd still increase the ginger.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I would expect an open pie to be less juicy than a pie with a top crust. I'd consider adding some cornstarch for thickening, though that might be out of period.

[eub.livejournal.com]

I personally make apple pies with no added sugar unless the mix of apples is all tart varieties. And sometimes a little lemon juice. Your taste may vary.

Crystallized ginger in the crust sounds very promising.

[frrom.livejournal.com]

If you drain the fruit for an hour on towels of some sort it will help eliminate the juicy mess. Pears are extra juicy, so draining for even half that time will help.
It also helps to put your baking on a pizza stone. I always, always, always do this and the crusts come out flaky on the bottom every time. I also use OU Kosher (Crisco) solid veg shortening in the crust, though it is not defined/labeled as parve.

[dsrtao]

Type of fruit and their exact level of ripeness will affect the proportions. If the pears were unripe, you might have needed a cup of sugar and the flour to be cut back; if they were completely ripe, you might want only a dusting of sugar and quite a bit more flour.

I made an experimental plum tart not too long ago; it came out more like a plum-topped sugar cookie, but it was still delicious. Just not what I had envisioned...

[cellio]

That's what I thought too -- open would lead to some cooking off. So either it does and it would have been really juicy otherwise, or there is something going on that I haven't accounted for (like maybe a top crust being in contact with the filling absorbs some?).

The pie is not period; maybe somebody in period made something like that or maybe not, but I sure haven't researched it. So the cornstarch wouldn't be automatically out.

[cellio]

Ooh, I hadn't considered crystalized ginger in the crust. That might be worth making my own crust for. :-) (I use frozen crusts, unashamedly.)

Thanks for the tip on the sugar. I hadn't made the apple-pie recipe I based this on, but it was from a source that has not steered me wrong in other areas, so I went with it. Pears may be naturally sweeter than the apples they had in mind, though.

[cellio]

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't considered draining.

This may sound like a dumb question, but what is a pizza stone and where do you get one? I mean, I gather that it's stone, but what kind? How thick? Anything special I should know about using one in a conventional (non-pizza) oven?

[cellio]

Thanks for the tip. The pears were pretty ripe (not over-ripe, but "just right" in my opinion).

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

In my experience, pears are 1) wetter generally and 2) more variable than apples. And yes, top crusts hold in moisture rather than wicking it away.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

One tip I saw Alton Brown use once on Good Eats was to add the sugar to the fruit, and then put the sugared fruit in a strainer over a container for a half-hour or so. The sugar draws water out of the fruit, which is collected in the container. He then cooked that liquid down to make a glaze (I think this was an open-topped fruit tart), so the flavor and sweetness weren't lost, just the water.

[eub.livejournal.com]

Oh, I misread your plans for the crystallized ginger. That sounds good too. :)

[rani23.livejournal.com]

I totally want to hear about the contest now!! Who won? How'd your pie do??

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

I think of closed pies as more traditional, though I don't have a source for this. Since this results in lots of juice, I'd use a glass or ceramic baking dish (and quite likely not bother with a bottom crust...)

Alternatively, try pre-cooking and then draining the fruit - especially if you can get hold of any quinces, which give a lovely flavour to the pears, but do need longer cooking.

For old recipes, try googling 'warden pie' (wardens being a variety of pears) - this one has a saffron crust (http://www.suite101.com/content/recipe-for-william-shakespeares-warden-pear-pie-with-saffron-a228675) which looks interesting, if you're prepared to make your own pastry.

[cellio]

Now that I think about it (and have eaten one of the remaining pears from this batch), you're totally right about relative juice levels. Oops! (But mmm.... :-) )

[cellio]

Ooh, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks! (And it reminds me of the ginger syrup in my cupboard; that might be a nice thing to mix in.)

[cellio]

I don't actually remember who won all the categories; we'll have to ask hildakrista. There were a lot of fruit pies, dilluting the vote; mine was one of several with 4-5 stones in it and the winner had 7, I think. (It was popular vote.) There were fewer vegetable pies and even fewer entered in the "period" category. (Ok, next year I can help fix that. :-) )

There were enough pies that we tightly filled the table in the period kitchen in the castle. Next year, Baron Byron has declared that the contest will move to the great hall (with additional tables). You should come!

[cellio]

I think of closed pies as more traditional, though I don't have a source for this. Since this results in lots of juice, I'd use a glass or ceramic baking dish (and quite likely not bother with a bottom crust...)

This sounds like it's getting close to cobbler. Mmm, I like cobbler!

Thanks for the cooking tip and for the recipe. I'll bet the saffron would add a nice flavor to the crust.

[frrom.livejournal.com]

Pizza stone, baking stone, hearth stone - all are the same thing. It is simply a shaped stone or stone-like material meant to bake with even heat. Pizza stones are the easiest to find at kitchen stores or larger department stores. The stones are generally the size of a large pizza, about 1/2 inch thick, and often come with a metal trivet to set them on. I simply leave my stone in the oven and set dishes, trays, etc on top.
Here are two examples from Crate and Barrel and Target.

[(Anonymous)]

You could also try using granulated tapioca instead of the flour to thicken the juices. Not everyone likes this style of filling, but if you go light on the tapioca you can avoid the "gelatinous filling" texture (which I hate). Personally, it's my favorite for sour cherry and peach pies. It could be interesting in a pear pie, especially if you added the ginger to the filling. For a starting point, Minute Tapioca boxes have a chart on the back. I'd try the recommendation for peach pie and go from there.

--Pamela