Ok, I used this recipe and made my first-ever, really great blueberry pie, several years back. I got it from the side of the tapioca-flour box. I wrote down the ingredients for future use as I used my own pie-crust recipe and technique.
This makes a blueberry pie from fresh, wild Michigan blueberries, and has an intense blueberry flavor. It is firm, but tender, not rubbery from too much starch. The crust is very flaky and tender. I share it with you.
The Chief’s Blueberry Pie:
Filling Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups packed sugar
5 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
6 cups fresh, wild, Michigan Blueberries (or wild berries from somewhere else if you must). If you’re desperate, use 3, ten ounce packages frozen Blueberries, not thawed. Note, they will be tart.
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Hardware (Can you tell I’m a guy?)
9 inch deep-dish pie plate
Pastry Cutter
With 6 cups of filling, this is a well-filled Pie!
Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chilled lard
1 ½ tsp salt
5 to 7 tablespoons ice water
Using a pastry cutter, cut the lard into the flour/salt until the dough resembles pea-gravel. Sprinkle the water over the dough and fold together just until everything holds together. Over-mixing will result in a tough crust.
How to make it:
Place a large 9 X 10 parchment paper-lined cookie sheet on the middle oven rack. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Combine the sugar and tapioca. Add the blueberries, and lemon juice. Fold until the berries are evenly coated.
If your home temperature is above 75’ F, chill the pie dough, and place a bag of ice you’re your work surface (where you’ll be rolling out the dough). Liberally sprinkle the flour over your working surface. Divide the dough into two equal sections. Squish the dough between your hands to make a round disk. Place it onto your work surface and dust with flour. Roll ½ of the pie dough into a 12 inch circle, always rolling from the center of the circle outward in every direction. Roll larger than 12 inches as the edges will be somewhat ragged, at least mine are. Place your pie pan upside down on the dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a smooth circle 3 inches larger than the pan edge. This will help prevent the dough from tearing when you move it to the pie pan. Slide a frosting spatula under the crust to loosen it from the table. Fold the dough in half, then in halve again to make a triangle. Place the dough into the pan so that when unfolded, it fills the pan. Gently press the dough into the pan.
Roll out the 2nd dough ball as you did with the first. Fill the pie with the berry mixture. Fold the dough, lay on top, and unfold the dough. Carefully fold the overlapping edges behind the sides of the bottom crust and between the pie pan and the bottom crust. Pinch the edges all the way around, and flute. With a sharp paring knife, carefully cut three small vent holes into the top crust.
Brush with egg wash, or milk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and cinnamon.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet in oven 30 minutes, cover edge with a pie shield or foil to Keep the edges golden brown.
Reduce your oven temperature to 375°F and bake until crust is golden. The filling will be bubbling in the vent holes. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes more.
Cool pie completely on a rack to set the filling.
Hint: If you like a firmer filling, add another tbs. of tapioca flour.
Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North