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Grape Hull Pie
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Cuisine: Southern
Old-fashioned muscadine recipes tend to stay just that: relics from a bygone era. A decision to cook with these grapes is a decision to spend some time separating skin and seed from pulp, and then processing the fruit so you don’t end up with lumpy goo.
Beyond jams and jellies, the most famous recipe is for Grape Hull Pie. Born of frugality, this pastry is made with discarded grape skins. The skins must be softened in boiling water, then sweetened and thickened. Some recipes call for an egg custard, but most rely on starch (flour or corn starch) plus the grapes’ pectins to thicken the filling. Working with a number of old and inexact recipes, we devised a new recipe that uses grape juice as well as skins.
It is wonderful — sticky like pecan pie but earthy and textured like mince pie.
-- John Kessler
To separate grapes easily, cut in half and squeeze them. The pulp should pop out. You can also cook this with just a bottom crust. Just shorten the times; cook for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and about 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Hands on time: 30 minutes Total time: 2 hours and 20 minutes Serves: 8
Ingredients:
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1 1/2 quarts green muscadine grapes
1 cup granulated sugar or to taste
1/4 cup corn starch
Premade double pie crust
Instructions:
Halve the grapes along the equators and pop out the seeds with your fingers, placing skins in one bowl and pulp in another. In a saucepan, combine skins and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook skins until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain water and set skins aside.
Meanwhile, microwave pulp for 3 minutes on high, or until seeds separate easily. Pass through a sieve, pressing hard to extract juice and soft pulp. Mix pulp, skins and sugar. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Add corn starch and stir to combine. It should make between 3 and 4 cups.
Fit the unbaked pastry shell into the pie plate and fill with muscadine mixture. Cover with remaining crust. Press edges together and decoratively flute.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden and you can hear filling bubbling. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
Meanwhile, microwave pulp for 3 minutes on high, or until seeds separate easily. Pass through a sieve, pressing hard to extract juice and soft pulp. Mix pulp, skins and sugar. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Add corn starch and stir to combine. It should make between 3 and 4 cups.
Fit the unbaked pastry shell into the pie plate and fill with muscadine mixture. Cover with remaining crust. Press edges together and decoratively flute.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden and you can hear filling bubbling. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.
Notes:
The recipe's total time includes cooling time.
Nutrition:
Per serving: 359 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 3 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (3 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 294 milligrams sodium.
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