7. Apple Pie

This is one of those recipes I remember by heart from when I was younger, because it's one my dad was a master at making. I remember the smell of the cinnamon and cloves, and seeing how many sugar and spice coated apple slices we could eat before they were topped with a pastry lid and baked. It's a classic, and although people are obsessed with new and exciting flavour combinations or deconstructed things, I think this apple pie stands out with it's simplicity and the irreplaceable memories that go along with it.

Apple Pie
Makes one 23cm pie

For pastry:
350g plain flour
250g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
15g sugar
1tsp salt
about 125g water, chilled

1 egg, for egg wash
granulated sugar to coat

For filling:
7 Granny Smith Apples (or any other tart variety)
100g dark brown sugar
56g caster sugar
20g cornflour
1/2 lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
40g unsalted butter, cut up into small cubes

Start by making the pastry. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in your chilled butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs (don't worry if there are any larger pieces, they will help to make the pastry flaky once rolled). Add in your water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and there are no more dry bits. Divide into two and shape into discs, then wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.

Roll one of the discs out to 2mm in thickness. Line your pie tart, prick the base with a fork and chill for a further 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Peel, core and slice your apples. Mix together with the sugars, cornflour, lemon juice and spices. Fill your chilled pastry case and spread the small cubes of butter over top.

Roll your second disc out quite thinly into a long rectangle about 1mm thick. Cut strips about 3cm wide. Start the basket weave of your top crust by covering the pie with parallel strips of dough. Then fold back every other strip and lay a new piece perpendicular to them. Place the folded strips back over top of your pie and alternate folding back every other strip and adding a new strip perpendicular. Then it's over, under, over, under until the whole pie is covered. This may take some practice to master, but hey, it's food... it's all going to be delicious in the end. So don't worry if it takes you 2 or 3 pies to master this technique, I'm sure family and friends won't mind.

Trim the excess dough away, crimp the edges and egg wash the top of your pastry. Sprinkle a bit of coarse sugar overtop and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown. If you're feeling extra fancy, top a slice with a bit of vanilla ice cream when serving (I know Dad would!).

4. Lemon Meringue Pie

One of my all time favorites: a nice bit of pastry filled with tart lemon custard and topped with a cloud of meringue gets me every time!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Makes one 20cm pie

For Pastry:

175g plain flour

125g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1.5 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

60g water

For Lemon Custard:

4 Lemons, juiced (zest of 1)

250g water

100g caster sugar

40g cornflour

4 egg yolks

50g unsalted butter

For Meringue:

4 egg whites

225g icing sugar

pinch of salt

Start by making the pastry. Mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in your chilled butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs (don't worry if there are any larger pieces, they will help to make the pastry flaky once rolled). Add in your water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and there are no more dry bits. Wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.

Roll the dough out to 2mm in thickness. Line your pie tart, trim away any excess pastry and crimp to your liking. Prick the base with a fork and chill for a further 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line your prepared pastry with a bit of parchment paper and fill with baking beans, rice, dried beans, what have you (this is to ensure the pastry doesn't puff up too much during the baking process). Bake for 15 minutes, remove beans and parchment paper and continue baking for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown and nearly cooked. This process is called baking blind. It's important that your pastry case be almost fully cooked to avoid a soggy crust.

While the pastry is cooking, prepare your lemon filling. In a medium sized bowl, mix together your egg yolks, sugar and cornflour to form a paste. Bring water to a boil with the zest of 1 lemon. Strain the mixture into your lemon juice to remove the zest, then slowly add to the eggy paste, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and continue whisking over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, whisk in your butter, line with a bit of parchment or film (to prevent the custard from forming a skin) and set aside until ready to assemble.

For the meringue, prepare a bain marie by filling a medium saucepan with 3-4 cm of water and bring to a low simmer. Whisk egg whites in a heat proof bowl (which is slightly larger that the width of your saucepan) with a pinch of salt until they start to hold peaks. Place over your bain marie, add your sugar and continue whisking until the mixture has thickened and is glossy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk until cool. This type of meringue is called meringue cuite or swiss meringue because it is cooked over hot water to stabilise the meringue and prevent it from shrinking in the oven when baked.

Lower your oven temperature to 120ºC. Assemble pie by pouring your lemon filling into your pastry case. Add your meringue over top, starting with the sides of your pie so it doesn't sink into the filling. Bake for 1 hr. Allow the pie to cool before slicing into it (if you can help yourself from picking at it... YUM).

3. Tourtière (À la Québécoise)

Being from Québec, I've always loved winter for being the time when all the best and heartiest lumberjack foods grace our plates. Tourtière was always high on the list of demands with my sister and I, and being able to recreate it over here in France always brings back memories of some incredibly crisp January evenings spent indoors with her.

Tourtière

Makes one 23cm pie, 5cm deep

For pie crust:
400g plain flour
200g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp salt
about 8tbsp water chilled

1 egg, for egg wash

For filling:

700g ground beef *

300g peeled potatoes, grated

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil

4 bay leaves

1tsp thyme

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp cloves

400g water

2tbsp balsamic vinegar

2tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper

Prepare your pie crust and filling the night before.

To do this put your onions, garlic and oil in a large pot and cook over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add in your beef and cook for 6-7 minutes stirring occasionally and allowing it to brown a little. Finally, add in your grated potatoes, water, balsamic, tomato paste and all your spices and allow to simmer uncovered until most of the water has evaporated, about 25-30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool. Store in the fridge until ready to assemble.

For the crust, mix your flour and salt with your butter cubes until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs (No need to be too perfect as larger lumps of butter is what helps give that flaky texture to the crust). Add in just enough of your chilled water for the dough to come together. Split into two, flatten into discs, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before use.

The following day, roll one of your pastry discs out to 3mm thick. Line your pie tin, prick the base and add in your cooled filling, keeping an eye out for any bay leaves (although they won't hurt anyone, they aren't the funnest thing to try and attempt eating). Roll out your second pastry disc, lay it over top of the pie and press the two crusts together to bind. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges in your preferred style. Store in the fridge until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Beat your egg with just a bit of water and brush the top of your tourtière. Score using your most inventive and skillful design for this is a work of art! Make sure to poke a few holes through the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is a lovely golden brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes or completely for optimal slicing action. Tourtière can always be reheated in a low oven (150ºC for 15 minutes) and is delicious served with hot mustard, caramelised onions or the old faithful (and traditional) bit of tomato ketchup. 

* Tourtière is traditionally made with pork or a mix of pork and beef. I'm not the biggest fan of pork, so I use 100% beef (half lean, half normal) or a mix of beef and veal, but feel free to use what you like, but ensure that some of your meat has a bit of fat in it so that it doesn't become too dry.