BELLINI-INSPIRED PEACH PIE

makes one 9” pie

(adapted from Kristina Petersen Migoya’s Pies and Tarts)

Pie Pastry for one 9” lattice crust
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup ice cold water
1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Using a bench scraper or your fingertips, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces. In a small bowl combine the ice water and vinegar. Add half of the water/vinegar to the flour/butter mixture and use your fingertips to combine. Add just enough of the remaining water/vinegar to the pastry so it comes together and does not feel dry. Gather the dough into 2 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out one disc into a 12” circle and gently fit it into a 9” pie plate. Fold and crimp the edges, refrigerate. Roll out the second disc of dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a 12” circle and cut into 1/4 ” strips using a pastry cutter.* Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Bellini-Poached Peach filling

Open a fresh bottle of Prosecco and pour yourself a flute-ful.

3 lbs. of ripe yet firm peaches, preferably freestone (this will yield a generous 6 cups)
1 cup of Prosecco
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
zest of one small lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons tapioca starch (you can substitute cornstarch)

egg wash made from one egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling

Peel, halve and pit the peaches, saving any runaway juices. Slice the peaches into 1/4 ” wedges and place in a large bowl. In a medium deep-sided pan, heat the Prosecco and peach juices over medium-high heat until it comes to a simmer. Using a slotted spoon, poach half of the sliced peaches in the simmering Prosecco for 2-3 minutes, just enough to soften them slightly. Place the poached peaches in a fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl. Poach the second half of the peach slices for 2-3 minutes and add these to the peaches in the strainer. You should have about 1 cup of poaching liquid between what is left in the pan and the liquid from the strained peaches. Reduce this liquid over medium heat until it thickens and you have about ¼ cup. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Toss the poached peaches with the lemon juice and then spread them on a sheet tray in a single layer so they cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest and tapioca starch. When the reduced peach poaching liquid and the peaches are cool, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

(*If the effects of the Prosecco find you feeling crafty, you can twist the 1/4" pastry strips into a decorative circle, as pictured. It's best to prepare this in advance on top of a parchment-lined tray and chill it completely before carefully transferring it to the top of the pie.)

Remove the pie plate with the bottom crust from the refrigerator and set it on a parchment lined baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the cooled peach slices, 3 tablespoons of the reduced poaching liquid and the sugar/tapioca starch mixture. Turn to coat evenly using a rubber spatula. Pour the filling into the pie shell and arrange the pastry strips into a lattice on top of the filling. Trim, seal and crimp the edges. Brush the lattice top with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the crust. Cover the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.   

Place on the bottom shelf of the pre-heated 400 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees, baking for an additional 45-50 minutes. Move the pie to the middle shelf and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the juices are bubbling thickly around the edges and through the middle of the pie. Set on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing, about 3 hours.