Christmas Slab Pie, Part 2
In the last post (which you can find here), we made the dough and the filling for this Southern wonder, a dried-fruit slab pie, inspired by Karen Barker's apricot rendition in the August/September issue of FINE COOKING.
Now we're putting it all together. It's not more than an assembly job. Get ready for pie!
First, take the dried-fruit filling out of the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.
Set the rack in the center of the oven and preheat said oven to 375F (190C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. And beat an egg in a bowl with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water until creamy and light.
Dust a clean, dry work surface with flour, then unwrap the dough and set it on top. Let it be for a couple of minutes to soften slightly. It'll be quite stiff. Bruce told me there's a pastry-chef trick of whacking it several times with a heavy rolling pin to loosen it up. Seemed too violent to me--but then I got impatient and did it anyway.
Dust the dough with flour and roll it into an 18 x 12-inch (45 1/2 x 30 cm) rectangle. It's important that you keep loosening the dough from the work surface, since that buttery melange is quite sticky. I used a thin boning knife that I repeatedly ran under the dough, lifting it loose from the surface. And I refloured a couple of times, just to be safe.
In other words, this whole rolling thing takes time: roll a few times in multiple directions, loosen the dough, roll again this way and that, etc. Make sure you have a ruler at the ready to get the right measurements--although not perfect.
Because now you're going to trim it into a 16 x 11-inch (40 1/2 x 28 cm) rectangle with perfectly straight sides. A pizza roller makes trimming dough a snap. I have a plastic one that doesn't scratch my counters. Be careful of a knife on delicate surfaces--use the back, not-sharp side of a flatware knife, if necessary. Fold the dough over, pick it up, and set it on the lined baking sheet, long side parallel to long side, half of the dough lapping off one long side.
Brush the edges of the dough with the egg mixture. Be generous so it'll seal when the time comes.
Spread the filling evenly over the half of the dough that's on the sheet. That dried-fruit filling is sticky and stiff. You'll need to glop it on and smear it. (Don't you love my fancy culinary lingo?) Leave a 1/2-inch (1 cm) border around the edges for sealing.
Fold the dough over and enclose the filling. Press the edges to seal. Then use a fork to seal the edges together, mushing the tines into the edges. This step is crucial, not just decorative. Any leaks will cause a real mess. Make sure everything's tight. If the dough develops any cracks, brush these with some of the egg wash and press them shut to seal the filling inside.
Brush the egg wash over the slab pie itself and cut five vent slits along the length of the pie, the slits parallel to the short sides, spacing these slits equidistant along the pie's length.
Bake until gorgeously golden, until the filling's bubbling slightly in the vents, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling to room temperature. Believe me: it's a tough trick to move that heavy, long thing. I used two, wide, flat, fish spatulas. And "the courage of my convictions," to quote Julia Child.
And that's the whole deal. Make thin slices to serve. It's a terrific mid-afternoon snack with a good book, provided you've got a cup of tea at hand. And a great dessert for a holiday meal. Or a satisfying breakfast the next morning. Although I've got a fork in the picture, it's not necessary. People at the book group ate it as slices out of hand. I also found the slab pie will keep, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge for a couple of days but it's best the very day it's made.
Mark Scarbrough | Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 10:22AM | in Desserts, Fabulously Empty Calories, Pie
Reader Comments (3)
This looks fantastic and such a perfect seasonal filling!
Christmas at your place must be a blast! That looks so festive, and reminds me a little of your figgy rolls, which I still get asked for! Best wishes to you and Bruce for the festive season, Mark, and a for a really enjoyable week next week, which is when I know the Christmas cooking will really get into full swing! :)
Thanks, Celia and Jennifer. Much holiday happiness both your ways.
M.