Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I've never made this before, but it's one of Tom's favorites. Since it's raining (the perfect time to bake) I decided to bake this one for him.

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour
Rating: TBD

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
3 tbsp. cornstarch (arrowroot instead)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 c. rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
1 tbsp. butter
Pastry for double crust pie

DIRECTIONS:
In large mixing bowl stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and ground nutmeg. Add rhubarb pieces and sliced strawberries, toss gently to coat fruit. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Trim pastry to edge of pie plate. Pour fruit mixture into pie plate. Dot with butter, place pastry on top of filling. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape seal and flute edge. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

ADDED NOTE: After slicing this pie, I discovered it was too runny - the juice didn't thicken at all! I pulled out my favorite baking book: Baking Illustrated (which I should have done in the first place) and discovered this is a very common problem with this pie because the rhubarb and strawberries both retain a large amount of liquid. So here's what they recommend:
Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has shed most of its liquid but is still firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and refrigerate until cool. Instead of cornstarch they suggest using 3 Tablespoons of arrowroot - for better flavor. Also make sure to vent the top crust at least 8 times to allow the extra moisture to escape. The pie tasted wonderful

Posted by Debi