Strawberry Balsamic Pie

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

Pastry
1 cup (150g) plain flour
¼ cup (40g) fine polenta
90g softened butter, diced
¼ cup water
1 tbsp sugar
Pinch salt

Filling
50g raw sugar
140g brown sugar
50g cornflour
1 tsp black pepper
Pinch salt
900g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 good dash angostura bitters
35ml balsamic vinegar

To brush
1 tbsp milk
3 tbsp raw sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C and lightly flour a 28cm pie tin.

Begin by making the pastry. Using your fingertips, mix the flour, polenta and butter together until it resembles breadcrumbs before adding water, sugar and salt. Mix softly, being sure not to overwork and, when formed, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. 

In a large bowl, all of the filling ingredients together until the strawberries are coated.

Take the pastry out of the fridge and flour a bench. Divide mixture in two with one being a little larger than the other. Roll out the smaller piece into a sheet and use it to line the 28cm pie tin. Place the filling mixture inside.

Roll out the remaining pastry and use a small cutter the size of a 10c piece to cut random holes starting from the centre then into a circle around that. Drape the pastry over the pie and crimp the edges of the pie together.

Brush the top lightly with milk and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of raw sugar. 

Place on the bottom shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes then turn down the heat to 190°C and cook for a further 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Place onto a cooling wrack and rest for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.