Somewhere out there I posted another apple pie recipe. This one is better.
The wife bought an apple slicer/corer for me, and I have used it a couple of times. The slices are too fat for pie so I cut them half-way down the center. The chunks are still pretty fat.
For a 10″ pie, I used 7 apples; pretty large I guess. I peeled them first, then used the slicer, then halved them.
I used a mix of Granny Smith, Macintosh, Fuji, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, and Gala apples.
Put them into a large bowl, and add 1/4 C sugar. Coat well. Put sliced apples in colander and let sit over bowl for 1 1/2 hours. Save juice.
Meanwhile, prepare crust. My crusts have to sit on counter for 20-30 minutes to become pliable.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Pour the juice into a small saucepan and heat it on low heat, and reduce by half.
Put apples back in bowl and add
1/4 C sugar
pinch/sprinkle salt
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons apple jelly (optional)
1 tablespoon apple cider or apple jack
1 tsp lime juice
I ground up 1/4 tsp grains of paradise and added that to mixture; coat apples well. Set aside and prepare crust.
Place apples in concentric circles in crust, slightly mounding over the top of the crust.
If any more juice accumulates, pour it into crust as well.
Put a few dollops of butter around apples.
Put top crust on and crimp/seal crusts together.
Brush rest of glaze on top of crust. Cut slits; at least 5, with a large center one.
Do the foil thing around the edge of the crust.
Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove foil for last ten minutes or so (will depend on your oven).
Crust will get very nicely brown.
It must cool four hours before slicing. Your patience will be rewarded. Plan ahead.
This recipe is from Good Eats episode American Classics II. Alton Brown used his own crust baked in a tart pan.
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