Page 361 - Pie Squared

¼ cup (32 g) Instant ClearJel

¼ cup (15 g) fresh basil leaves, stacked and slivered

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sparkling sugar

For the crust: In the food processor, pulse the flours, butter,

shortening, and salt until the fats are in small pieces coated with
flour, about 15 times. Add the water and vodka (if using) all at once
and process until the mixture almost forms a ball. Form the dough

into a 6- by 4-inch rectangle using plastic wrap and a bench scraper
to firmly press the dough into a cohesive form. Wrap tightly and
refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to warm
slightly. Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the

other. Roll out the larger piece to 11 by 15 inches and place in the
slab pie pan, pressing it into the corners of the pan and allowing the
excess to drape over the sides. Refrigerate. Roll out the second

piece of dough to 10 by 14 inches, place it on a lightly floured sheet
of parchment, and refrigerate.
Heat the oven to 425°F; you have one, place a baking stone,
Baking Steel, or inverted baking sheet on the center rack to heat
(see here).

For the filling: Pulse the corn in a blender or mini-processor until it
is in very small pieces suspended in a liquid-y paste. In a large bowl,
gently stir the corn puree, blackberries, sugar, ClearJel, basil, and

lemon juice to combine. Spoon the berry mixture and every bit of the
sugary syrup in the bottom of the bowl into the bottom crust, pushing
it into all the corners. Dot with the butter. Unfold the top crust over
the filling. Trim the excess dough with scissors. Crimp and slash. Stir
the egg yolk and water together and brush it generously across the

top crust, avoiding the edges. Sprinkle with the sparkling sugar. If