Pacific Pie Company’s Drunken Ginger Pear Pie

This pie recipe comes to us from the kitchen of Sarah Curtis-Fawley, co-owner of Pacific Pie Company and was prepared during our Chef in the Market series, which takes place at our PSU Farmers Market June-October.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz golden raisins
• 5 oz crystallized ginger, chopped
• 4 pounds pears, peeled and sliced ½” thick (choose your favorite variety from vendors Kiyokawa Orchards, Packer Orchards, Stephens Farm, or Tamiyasu Orchards just to name a few!)
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 oz butter, cut into ½” pieces
• 2 oz Below Deck Ginger Rum from Eastside Distilling or New Deal Ginger Liqueur
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 batch pastry (for a great pastry recipe, check out the Portland Farmers Market Cookbook for Pacific Pie’s All Butter pie crust recipe!)

Method:

1. Prepare 1 batch of pastry and roll out and crimp a bottom crust in a 9” pie plate. Partially blind bake the pie shell and set aside.
2. Combine golden raisins and crystallized ginger in a small saucepan and add water just to cover. Bring to low simmer and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat.
3. Put pears in a large pot and toss with sugar, lemon juice, and spices. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often. After 5 minutes, add raisin- ginger mixture and butter to the pot. Continue to cook until the pears are just tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Mix cornstarch with rum to make a slurry. Pour over pears and cook until thickened and bubbling, about 3-5 minutes. Cool filling completely.
5. Spoon cooled filling into partially blind baked pie shell, top with pastry decoration or lattice and bake at 375 degrees until top pastry is golden.

Download the recipe here!

Photo courtesy of novelcreativeagency.com