Paté aux prunes

This lovely greengage plum pie is typical to the Anjou region of France and is traditionally served cold. For a few weeks each summer you will find it for sale in every patisserie, and the arguments flow about whose is the best. I love greengage plums and have planted several each of ‘Reine Claude’ and ‘Oullins golden gage’ in my orchard.

If you wish to make this recipe with a sharper plum like Victoria you may like to add a little more sugar, do however, leave the plums whole as cooking them with the stones in helps to thicken the juices in the pie.

Ingredients for 20cm oval pie dish

Pastry

200g unsalted butter, softened

400g plain flour

1 whole egg & 1 egg yolk

1 tsp caster sugar

Pinch of salt

62g cold water

For the filling

1kg greengage plums washed but left whole

150g caster sugar

Egg wash (1 whole egg with 2 tbsp milk beaten together)

What to do:

First make the pastry. Sieve the flour onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle.

Into this put the butter, salt, sugar, water, egg & yolk and mix them together first then gradually draw in the flour. Continue until you have incorporated all the flour. Knead gently until you have an evenly mixed paste. Shape this into a rectangle and cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Once the pastry had rested, cut it in half and roll out one half and line the base of you pie dish. Fill with the greengage plums and caster sugar.

Roll the remaining pastry for the lid. Egg wash around the top edge before firming it down well. Trip around with a knife to remove the excess pastry.

Egg wash the top of the pie and sprinkle generously with caster sugar. Make 2 or 3 cuts in the middle of the lid to let the steam out during cooking, or use a pie funnel if you have one.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160ºC for 40 minutes.

Bon appetit!