Gordon Ramsay's Unconventional Method For An Unforgettable Apple Pie Crust

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Gordon Ramsay's experience as a chef comes from a mixture of running Michelin-starred restaurants and more casual-style places, as well as appearing on numerous television shows that showcase his bombastic personality. One thing is for sure, he doesn't mind being bold. A good thing, too, as it turns out he has his own take on American apple pie, which many might find controverisal.

His secret is to not use a traditional pie crust at all, but instead to make an apple pie with a tart crust. The recipe comes from his cookbook, "Cooking For Friends", and while the caramelized apple filling attracted plenty of attention, it's the crust that makes his approach unique.

Although pies and tarts have plenty in common, the dough for the crust is distinct in both preparation and final texture. A pie crust recipe usually calls for cold butter and iced water worked into flour for a dough that becomes flaky when baked. Tart crusts such as Ramsay's use softened butter, eggs and sugar to achieve a sweet crust with a crumbly, crispy finish.

Gordon Ramsay's pie recipe might have you eager to get into the kitchen and try it for yourself, but there are a few things you need to be aware of first. This tart crust comes together much more easily than a pie dough, but it can be more fiddly to work with. If you had any plans for complex lattice work, then choose a different crust for your pie.

To make the crust it's as simple as adding softened butter and sugar to a food processor and blitzing until combined, followed by the egg and the flour. The whole process should take less than a minute. At this point you can divide it into two pieces — around two thirds for the bottom crust and the rest for the top.

While you don't need to worry about keeping the dough cold as you mix it, you will need to let it cool down in the fridge for around 30 minutes until it becomes firm enough to work with. Ramsay makes the filling at this point. Tart dough is usually pressed into a tart tin, where the slightly crumbly texture is not an issue. Making a pie requires rolling the dough out, so you'll need to take extra care to not tear it. It can help to leave the pastry for the top crust in the fridge while you roll out the base and fill the pie.

If you're following Ramsay's recipe, which calls for pre-cooking the apple filling, you'll need to ensure that it's cool before adding to the pie. Then it's just a matter of adding the rolled-out pastry to the top, slicing some steam holes, and baking until golden and crispy.