Wild Blueberry Pie With Pecan Crust

By: The Food Hunter

Last weekend I had every intention of making a pecan dessert of some sort and then I saw Mario Batali posted a Wild Blueberry Pie recipe from his upcoming cookbook and I knew I had to give it a try.

Since I was planning on pecans, and had already bought them, I decided to make a pecan crust to accompany his wild blueberry filling. What a delicious combination...this was by far the best blueberry pie I have ever eaten.

Wild Blueberry Pie With Pecan Crust

For the crust  
(slightly adapted from Emeril Lagasse)
2 cup flour
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, cold
7 tablespoons ice water

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and mix again. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into two equal parts. Roll one out on the floured surface into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Gently place it into a 9 by 2-inch deep-dish pie pan.  Roll out 2nd half of dough for a top.

For the filling
(slightly adapted from Mario Batali)
5 cups wild blueberries, fresh or frozen, washed and stems removed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Gently toss the berries with the flour, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour the berries into the pie shell. Scatter the butter over the berries. Place the second crust over the pie and crimp the edges to seal. With a sharp knife, cut a few slashes in the top crust to vent. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is brown and the filling bubbles up through the vents.

Cool completely before serving.