FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE IN BUTTERMILK BISCUIT CRUST

​Buttermilk Biscuit Pie Crust (adapted from Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook)
 
Makes one 9” crust (I used a pie plate that is 1½” deep)
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon lemon or orange zest
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into ½” pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and zest. Using a bench scraper or two knives, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Gradually stir in the buttermilk, mixing just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
 
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Pat the dough together and fold it over itself several times. Shape the dough into a disc. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a circle about 10” in diameter and ¾” thick. Ease the dough into the pie plate, trim the overhang to 1” and fold and crimp the edges. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the piecrust, then place the pie plate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
 
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil to line the chilled shell and fill with beans or pie weights. Place the pie shell on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully remove the parchment (or foil) and pie weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the pie shell for an additional 20 minutes, until the crust is golden. Cool on a rack completely before filling. (If not using right away, cover the cooled pie shell tightly with plastic wrap.)
 
Fresh Strawberry Filling  (from Paul Prudhomme)
 
2 quarts fresh (equals 3 lbs. or 8 cups sliced) local if possible strawberries, lightly rinsed, dried, stems removed
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
 
Place 3 cups of berries and the sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until smooth. (If you prefer a chunkier sauce, use a potato masher to mash the strawberries and sugar by hand.) Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Add the gelatin and whisk together until the gelatin is dissolved. Set aside to cool over a bowl of ice, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens but is still pourable. Arrange the remaining strawberries in the prebaked pie shell, stem ends down, starting around the edge and working your way into the center. (Depending on the size of the
berries, you may want to halve some of them and use them as a bottom layer, then add the remaining whole berries on top.) Pour the strawberry sauce over the berries and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. (The sauce should feel firm to the touch.) Serve with Chantilly Cream.
 
Chantilly Cream
 
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
​2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream
 
Combine cream, vanilla and Grand Marnier in a medium bowl. Beat until the cream begins to thicken, then add sugar and sour cream and beat on medium just until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.
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