Gooseberry pie recipe

This tangy gooseberry pie recipe is simple to make and packed full of fruity gooseberries that are delicious when in season. This is a double crust fruit pie with a delicious gooseberry filling. A lovely recipe to make when gooseberries are in season – you can often buy them frozen if you have difficulties finding fresh, alternatively perhaps you grow your own. The gooseberries are so tangy and fruity, you’ll just love the flavour, especially with the buttery pastry coating. The mint in this pie goes very well with the gooseberries. Serve the pie hot or cold with custard, cream or ice cream. This recipe serves 4-6 people and will take around 1hr and 35 mins to make and bake.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 350g plain flour
• Pinch salt
• 175g margarine or butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 egg , medium, separated
• 2 – 4 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 750g gooseberries, topped and tailed
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 – 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint

Method

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour with the salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter or margarine and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and add the egg yolk. Gradually add enough water to make a soft dough.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C/400⁰F/Fan 180⁰C/Gas Mark 6.
4. Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut the dough in half. Roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 900ml pie dish.
5. Mix together the gooseberries, 100g of the caster sugar and the mint and then spoon into the lined pie dish.
6. Roll out the remaining dough to fit the pie dish and brush the edge with water. Cover the pie dish with the pastry and seal by pressing with a fork or fluting the edge. Make a small slit in the top of the pie.
7. Whisk the egg white a little with a fork then brush it over the top of the pastry. Sprinkle the remaining 25g of caster sugar over the pie.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180⁰C/350⁰F/Fan 160⁰C/Gas Mark 4 for a further 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the gooseberries are tender when a skewer is inserted in the centre of the pie. Serve hot or cold.