Fresh fruit in season is almost always better than canned, frozen, or preserved fruit. But this amazing and time-honored pie, a tribute to the dawn of the frozen fruit industry and the electric mixer, is best made the original way. In fact, the elbow grease required to whip this filling by hand is too daunting to think about; I wouldn’t try it without a stand-type electric mixer. You will be impressed by the lofty volume and the good berry flavor achieved by so few ingredients—and a little electricity.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Basic All-American Pie Dough for a 9-inch pie shell (page 20)
4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
⅔ cup sugar
1¼ cups (10 ounces) sliced, sweetened frozen strawberries, thawed and not drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roll out the pie 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.
Put the egg whites and salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat at moderate speed until they stand in soft, foamy peaks. Keep beating as you add the sugar in a steady stream, and continue to beat until the whites stand in stiff, firm peaks. Add the strawberries (along with any accumulated juices) and lemon juice, and beat at high speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and fluffy and stands in billowy peaks that droop slightly when the beater is lifted.
In a deep, narrow bowl or quart-size measuring cup, whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks and is about the consistency of the strawberry mixture. Scoop the cream on top of the berry mixture and, using a rubber spatula or large wooden spoon, stir and fold together until you don’t see any streaks of unblended cream. Pile the mixture into the prepared pie shell, mounding it in the center—it will be several inches high—and chill for several hours or overnight before serving. After about 24 hours, the filling will begin to deflate.