Are you sweet or are you salty?
I’d like to say I’m a little bit of both – sweet, salty, and sassy! NOT salty in the way of anger (rarely angry – only THREE things make me angry – another story). I’m salty in the way that I’m FLAVORFUL! Full of spunk – and I always enhance the sweet.
Salt is used as a universal flavour improver because at low concentrations it will reduce bitterness, but increase sweet, sour and umami, which is desirable for sweet recipes. But at higher concentrations it suppresses sweetness and enhances umami, which is good for savoury things.
While this Grapefruit Peach Brûlée Pie is most certainly sweet, the tart grapefruit adds a touch of complexity, but so does the saltine cracker based crust. Yes, that’s right. All the flavors are magically amalgamated into a peachy pinky treat!
Salty Grapefruit Peach Brûlée Pie
Crust:
1 sleeve Club crackers (about 1 1/2 cups), processed until flour-like
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
12 Tbs. ice cold butter, cubed
2 Tbs. white vinegar
1 large egg
3-4 Tbs. ice water
Custard Filling:
1 lb. fresh or frozen peaches
1 cup grapefruit juice
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. sea salt
4 large eggs
1 oz. unflavored gelatin
3 drops pink food coloring gel (optional)
1 Tbs. raw sugar
1 large grapefruit, sliced
Using a food processor or high speed blender, grind the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the flour, ice cold butter, and egg, and pulse to incorporate. Slowly drizzle in the water until the perfect ball of dough forms. Do not use too much water. You know, go by the feel of it!
Roll out the dough on a thoroughly floured surface (do your best, it is rustic and crumbly) and push into the bottom of a pie plate – this is a THICK crust.
Chill for about 20 minutes in the freezer.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the chilled crusts for about 15 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
In a large pot, over low heat, warm the peaches and grapefruit juice. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a high speed blend and process until smooth. Once cooled, add the 4 eggs, sea salt, and gelatin. Process again, until smooth. Drizzle in the cream and add the food coloring (for more pink) and pulse until well combined.
Pour the filling into the baked crust (there will be LOTS of extra – I baked mine a square baking dish and brûléed as a “crustless pie.”
Bake prepared pie crust for about 40 minutes, until the filling is almost set.
Cool completely. Chill, if desired.
Once set, sprinkle with the raw sugar, as well as the grapefruit slices. Brûlée with a kitchen torch for complete perfection! Top with decorative grapefruit slices.
Chill, again, to serve.
