The trick to great pastry is to handle it as little as possible. If at any stage you find the pastry is too soft, transfer to a tray and refrigerate to firm up before continuing. The addition of sake in the pastry gives light but crisp results.
Ingredients
Sake pastry
Miso caramel sauce
Method
1.For filling, place apples, sugar, miso, lemon rind and juice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender but retain their shape (12 minutes). Set aside to cool, then strain. Reserve syrup, you should have about 160gm.
2.Meanwhile, for sake pastry, pulse butter, flour and sugar in a food processor until butter is sandy in texture. Whisk yolk, sake and 1 tbsp iced water together in a small bowl to combine, and then add to the flour mixture, pulsing just until the mix holds when pressed between two fingers. You may need to add more iced water if dough is a little dry. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work bench and bring together with the heel of your hand. Divide in half, flatten each into a 12cm disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (1 hour).
3.Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced and grease the base and side of a 22.5cm, 3cm-deep pie dish. Stand pastry at room temperature for 10 minutes, then place one disc between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll to a 30cm round; refrigerate. Roll remaining disc to a 26cm round; refrigerate.
4.Line prepared pie dish with the 30cm round of pastry and refrigerate (10 minutes). Fill pastry case with apple filling, then gently lift the pastry lid on top. Trim pastry to a little beyond the rim of the dish, then press and crimp the edges together. Brush the pie top with eggwhite and sprinkle liberally with extra demerara sugar then cut a few 5cm slits in the top.
5.Transfer pie to oven, bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 180°C and bake, rotating the dish halfway through cooking, until pie is deep golden brown (50 minutes). Cool slightly before serving.
6.Meanwhile, for miso caramel, place reserved apple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat with all the ingredients. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously with a whisk, then simmer until slightly thickened (6 minutes). Serve pie drizzled with miso caramel.
If golden delicious are unavailable, substitute Granny Smith.
Notes
