This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was one I couldn’t wait to try. Blueberry Nectarine Pie (p 384) couldn’t have come at a better time – I’m in Paris with access to beautiful fruit and I loved the idea of slightly tart blueberries with juicy sweet nectarines. But in a pie? Hmmm… Now don’t take my blogging badge away but I’ll confess here that I have never made a pie from scratch. Not a pie with a lid anyway. Tarts, galettes etc… ? No problem. But a pie with a lid? I know, I know – I’m a bad Australian too, I have never even made a meat pie from scratch either. But you know, it’s a challenge I was up to. I mean, I have been working quite extensively with pastry this month at La Cuisine Paris so I felt confident I could make it work.
Until I realised I had confused the recipes for this and next week’s Tuesdays with Dorie pastry recipes and so when I came to make this late on a Sunday afternoon, I realised that I didn’t have any vegetable shortening called for in the recipe. And on Sunday afternoon in Paris, you’d be hard pressed to find any. Actually I don’t know about finding vegetable shortening that easily even when the stores are open. So I winged it (sorry, TWD folks) and found a flaky pastry recipe that did not call for shortening and used that.
The local blueberries and nectarines were, as I had hoped, luscious. So so juicy that when I had cooked up a part of the fruit filling, I had to drain quite a bit of juice off – didn’t want a soggy pie after all…
It looked like it was going to be a fabulous pie – I mean, look at it ready for its top…
Sadly I had some issues with making sure that the top and the bottom pastry were properly sealed. Not having access to a proper pie dish made the whole crimping aspect quite challenging… So unfortunately the pie leaked through. But it looked kind of endearing and rustic as it sat on my petit balcon cooling don’t you think?
As we cut into it, the pastry was very flaky indeed. A lil soggy on the bottom though the juice didn’t leak there. I guess cooking it in a glass pie dish doesn’t so much work. But it didn’t stop five of us from digging in….
I actually kind of like the jammy crust around the edge. It *almost* looks like it was done on purpose, non?
Anyway, the proof is in the pudding nearly empty pie dish, n’est-ce pas?
No, not the best composed food photo but definitely a moment. My first pie.
This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie, Baking with Julia was hosted by Hilary of Manchego’s Kitchen and Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake. Tuesdays with Dorie participants do not publish the recipes on our blogs except if we happen to be the host for the week, rather, we prefer if you purchase Baking with Julia for yourselves which you can do here on Amazon or Amazon Canada. Or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking along at Tuesdays with Dorie. Go on, you know you want to.
Congratulations! I’m addicted to stone fruits this season — especially nectarines! I bet a swirl of cream would have been a delicious accompaniment in those beautiful fruit juices.
Cream, ice cream – yes!
The perfect summer pie…I think it looks beautiful and would love to get a bite of it. The pastry looks perfectly flaky, the filling, scrumptious…. divine!
Merci mon amie!
Your pie looks great and you were so lucky to get such wonderful fruit! Looks like your pie was well loved!
I like it – “well loved” 🙂
I don’t know if we can find shortening around here either, I always use butter or margarine, butter for preference when it comes to pastry. It looks yummy, I wouldn’t think of using nectarines or peaches in a pie at all. 🙂
It’s SO good with nectarines!
You certainly turned out a gorgeous pie, your first one! Beautiful pics and such fantastic fruit! To be in Paris right now…!
Thanks so much!
Bravo 🙂 (Hey – you couldn’t see the black bottom on my grilled pie – it wasn’t pretty…)
And you made your first pie. In Paris…
Ha! Who cares about what you can’t see? 😉
I tasted it and you could serve this up five nights a week and I’d never complain.
Glad you enjoyed!
Hooray for your first double crust pie and your first pie in Paris!!! So beautiful with the deep colored juices…and I’m certain everything tastes better over there 🙂 Brava, my friend!
Merci!
Yeah for you!! And congratulation on your first pie! It looks lovely! Such a perfect place to bake your first pie!!
I couldn’t agree more!
The proof is definitely in the empty pie dish. Well done on your pie!
Empty pie dish = success!
It looks FABULOUS!
I much prefer a home-made looking pie to perfection anyday of the week.
what are those little white dots sitting around the slice?
Creme fraich?
Hi Carol, Yes it’s crème fraîche with a little of the drained off juice from the fruit. Mmmmm! And thanks!
everything tastes better in Paris… and congrats on your first pie (looks amazing)!
Indeed it does!
Oh Paris,… I love it!
Your pie looks so yummy! … like Amelia said: congrats on your fist pie!
Congratulations on your very first pie. It is such a delicious recipe. We just love your pictures.
Many thanks!
It seems to be a pie day: I made two pies today too: apple pie and two cheeses pie. This pie looks delicious. I hope you didn’t discard all the juice?! 🙂
Sadly I did because I just didn’t have room in the fridge (tiny Paris fridge)!
I’ve never thought of adding another fruit to a blueberry pie. Now I ask myself, why the heck not?!!
Right? The more fruit the better!
I think your pie looks delicious!
I am a firm believer in the fact that pie is not meant to be perfect… And, I think yours looks absolutely lovely. And, I will add that I much prefer a butter or lard crust to vegetable shortening, so I think your version was probably better in the end… Certainly more tasty. 🙂
Thanks Jen!