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Sweet sorrel pie
Pirog so shchavelem (Пирог со щавелем): early-summer pie of sugared sorrel leaves
RussianIn late May and June, sorrel is the first thing to grow thick in dacha gardens around Moscow and Kaluga, and grandmothers turn the sour leaves into a sweet pie that tastes surprisingly like rhubarb. Shredded sorrel is tossed with sugar and a little starch and baked between two layers of soft sour-cream pastry, then eaten in thick slices with tea or cold milk. The common mistake is mixing the sugar into the sorrel too early, which draws out the juice and floods the pastry. Chef's tip: layer the dry leaves into the pie and sprinkle the sugar and starch over them right before you close the lid.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 4 oz cold butterdiced
- 12 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 5 ½ oz sour cream
- 1 egg
For the filling
- 14 oz sorrel leaveswashed, dried and shredded
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 2 tbsp potato starch or cornflour
To finish
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 4 oz cold butter into 12 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp sugar until crumbly. Mix in 5 ½ oz sour cream and 1 egg and bring together into a soft dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Roll two-thirds of the dough to line a 24 cm tin, with the edges coming up the sides.
10 minStep 3: Pack 14 oz sorrel leaves into the case; it will shrink a lot as it bakes. Mix 5 ½ oz sugar and 2 tbsp potato starch or cornflour and sprinkle evenly over the leaves.
3 minStep 4: Roll the rest of the dough into a lid, lay it on top and pinch it to the sides. Cut a few slits and brush with 1 tbsp milk.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden on top and the juices bubble thickly through the slits. Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting so the filling sets; dust with icing sugar.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sweet sorrel pie take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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