Deep Dish Black Currant Pie

Our Black Currant bush is fruiting at the moment and providing us with oodles and oodles of lovely black berries.  I just adore black currants, don't you?

I have all sorts of plans for them.    Black Currant Cordial.   Creme De Cassis.  Dried black currants (in my dehydrator) to use this winter in cakes, etc.

They  are coming fast and furious now in my garden now and, well . . . I just want to get as much out of them as I can.  I know  I will lose a lot to the birds . . . or them overripening . . . I'm ok with sharing with the birds. They need to live too. I just want to get my own share's worth first!

I don't make my own jams anymore. With just the two of us, it's just not feasible. That means I have to do something else with the fruit that we grow and pick. I do try to bake crumbles, cakes, pies etc. with whatever fresh fruit that is in season at the moment, and I try hard to freeze some to enjoy in the winter ahead.

This pie is simple and delicious. You can have it warm with some custard, or ice cream, creme fraiche or even with some clotted cream. You will want somethiing rich and creamy to contrast with that crisp pastry and the sweet/tart fruit. (Clotted Cream is a real treat!)

*Deep Dish Black Currant Pie*
makes one 8 inch pie
Printable Recipe

A beautiful deep dish pie that is at once sweet and yet tart, and oh so oozingly delicious! This is fabulous!

For the Pastry:
170g plain flour (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
a pinch of salt
100g unsalted butter (7 TBS)
1 medium egg yolk
Cold water, to combine

For the Filling:
350g fresh blackcurrants, washed, picked over, topped and tailed (abput 4 cups)
150g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
Milk and extra sugar to glaze

To make the pastry, sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolk together with 2 tablespoons of water and add to the butter mixture. Mix to a firm dough with a fork. Shape into two flat rounds, and then chill, wrapped for at least 30 minutes before using.

Preheat your oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Put the blackcurrants into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and cornflour. gently turning them with a spoon until they all get coated with the sugar and corn flour.

Roll out half of the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit in the bottom of a 7 to 8 inch deep pie dish, along with some overhang. Line the pie tin with this. FIll with the fruit sugar mixture.

Roll out the remainder of the pastry in a round large enough to cover the top of the pie. Brush the edges of the bottom crust all the way around with some milk. Apply the top crust and trim, pinching and folding the edge to seal. (Flute according to your preference.) Cut a few slashes in the top to vent. Brush with more milk and extra sugar.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm with some ice cream, custard or creme fraiche. Delicious!