Making a pie of fresh strawberries while retaining the berries’ flavor and aroma can be difficult. A pie made of whole fresh berries does not cut easily or neatly, and a pie of long-cooked berries will lack the essence of freshness that made the berries special to start with. The following method, which involves mashing, sweetening, and briefly cooking half the berries and then adding the remaining berries in slices (or whole, if they are small), is the best technique I have found for making a pie that keeps a fresh berry flavor and cuts neatly.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Basic All-American Pie Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (page 20)
1¾ to 2 pounds fresh strawberries, 6 to 8 cups, depending on berry size
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Whipped Cream (page 39)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim and flute the edges, then bake the pie shell fully, following the instructions on page 22. Cool completely before filling.
Dump the berries into a colander and rinse them. Drain well, shaking to remove excess water, then remove the stems. Pick out about 1 cup of whole berries and reserve for garnish. Cut half of the remaining berries into thick slices (or leave them whole if they are small) and set aside.
Put the remaining whole berries in a medium saucepan and crush them with a potato masher. Add the cornstarch, sugar, and salt and stir until the cornstarch has dissolved completely. Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and cook gently for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then cool for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times, until just faintly warm.
Stir in the sliced strawberries. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, until the filling is softly set.
Before serving, prepare the whipped cream and spread it over the pie. Garnish with the whole berries.