Strawberry Sumac Slab Pie

Unlike any other.

This is a beloved pie. This pie has received countless likes and comments. This pie once had a queue at a pop-up and sold out at a slice per minute. This pie got cleared in record time at my office just this morning. So when I tell you what I am about to tell you, just know it’s worth it.

This pie will take you at least two days to make. It has to be this way, because strawberries are a water-laden fruit. It takes time to distill down their flavor and create a stable filling without the crutch of gelatin or lots of cornstarch, which are texturally disturbing, in my opinion. The answer here is maceration and time — 24 hours to be exact, though you can extend it for up to 3 days. The filling is rounded out with sumac and vanilla that play to the strawberry’s undertones — earthy, floral, tart and sweet.

A few notes on the crust: This recipe calls for more than you need. It’s fine to have extra, but having barely enough can be unnecessarily frustrating. Also, the kind of butter you use matters. In testing this recipe, I made a crucial mistake in using Kerrygold. Normally a phenomenal choice, it’s high butterfat and pliable texture proved incredibly challenging to work with in this context. Even straight from the fridge, it’s soft enough to easily make a dent in with your fingertips, and in my un-air-conditioned kitchen, offered me, generously, two minutes to roll out before it became impossibly soft. So while I generally encourage you to buy then best butter your budget allows, this is one situation in which I’d advise you to use plain old American butter.

Makes: 12 servings

Difficulty: Intermediate

Inactive time: 26 hours

Active time: 1.5 hours