OLIVE OIL PIE CRUST

I recently wrote about what I brought back from the states. Crisco sticks were listed, and later Dr. Satori commented that he usually saves drippings to use in lieu of Crisco. Now I’m not sure what he’s using those drippings for – maybe to fry eggs, or onions, and I do the same, but there are certain things I really need Crisco for, such as biscuits and pie crusts.

Although they don’t have Crisco in Italy they do have lard. Yes, good old-fashioned, nutritionally incorrect lard, which is what our grandmothers used before there was Crisco. I have used lard to make the pastry shells for savory quiches, but for a lemon meringue or Derby pie, I don’t want to use lard. Maybe it’s because I grew up with pie crusts made with Crisco, but I prefer it over pie crusts made with butter, as odd as that might sound.

(addendum: now it appears that lard isn't the artery clogging monster I once thought it was, and might even be 'healthier' than Crisco! Read THIS ARTICLE and see what you think! )

Recently I found a recipe for a pie crust made with olive oil, and for those times when I’m using a savory filling I think this might be the perfect way to save my Crisco AND to use heart-healthy olive oil. The recipe was on one of my favorite blogs, CHOCOLATE & ZUCCHINI, so I feel confident that it’s a great recipe. Making pie crust has never intimidated me, although using a liquid in place of the solid shortening might take a bit of getting used to. I’m trying to use heart-healthy olive oil wherever I can, and I’ve even convinced Art to give up his beloved Hellmann’s mayonnaise in favor of homemade mayo with olive oil.

Here’s the recipe for the olive oil tart crust with thanks to Clotilde Dusoulier, the amazing author of CHOCOLATE & ZUCCHINI.

Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust

- 250 grams (8.8 ounces*) light whole wheat flour (French T80), or a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs (I use rosemary or thyme)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil (or the oil of your choosing, provided it withstands cooking)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) cold water

Makes enough to line a 28- to 30-cm (11- to 12-inch) tart pan.

Grease the pan lightly if it doesn't have a nonstick coating.

Combine the flour, salt, and herbs in a medium mixing bowl. Add the oil and mix it in with a fork. Add the water, mix with the fork until it is absorbed, then knead lightly (I do this with just one hand, in the bowl) until the dough comes together into a ball.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the ball of dough and on the rolling pin, and roll the dough out into a circle large enough to fit your tart pan. Turn the dough by 45 degrees (a quarter of a circle) every time you roll the pin and back, adding a little more flour underneath and on the dough when it seems on the verge of becoming sticky. The trick is to do this in quick, assertive gestures (channel the spirit of Julia Child) to avoid overworking the dough.

Transfer the dough carefully into the prepared pan and line it neatly. Trim the excess dough (re-roll it and cut into decorative shapes to top the tart), and place the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

You can then blind-bake the crust (prick with a fork first), or garnish it straight away, depending on the filling. Either way, it will take 20 to 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F) to bake thoroughly.

* That's about 2 cups, but really, measuring flour by weight is the only way to ensure accuracy. Consider buying a digital kitchen scale: it will prove an invaluable tool, and the simplest models are not super expensive.