photo by: Zac Williams/Mother Earth News

Upside-Down Apple Pie

The image of Dutch ovens that used to come to mind was my mother’s crimson Le Creuset pot, which she always used on the stove to cook homemade chili or potato soup. But after spending time with the participants of the National Dutch Oven Gathering in Hutchinson, I realized my mistake. A true Dutch oven actually looks much different.

The cooks at the Dutch oven gathering refer to the flat-bottomed Dutch ovens we use on kitchen stovetops as “bean pots.” To them, a true Dutch oven is a cast-iron or aluminum pot that sits on three short legs and has a flat lid with a rim around the edge. The legs allow coals to be set beneath the pot, and the rim on the lid keeps coals from rolling off the top.

Upside-Down Apple Pie

Yields 12 servings.

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

2 cups flour

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shortening

2 tablespoons cold butter

5 to 7 tablespoons orange juice

Filling:

6 tablespoons butter, melted, divided

1⁄2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1⁄2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup granulated sugar

1⁄3 cup flour

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

8 cups thinly sliced sweet apples

Directions:

For crust:

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into 2 balls. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out 1 ball of dough into a 12-inch circle and place in a 10-inch Dutch oven or a pie pan that you then place inside the Dutch oven.

To assemble:

In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and pecans, and mix well. Spoon into pie crust.

In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, and remaining butter, and toss gently. Spoon over pecan mixture.

Roll out remaining ball of dough, and place over filling. Pinch edges together to seal, and cut steam vents.

Place lid on Dutch oven. Place 9 coals underneath the oven and 15 coals on top, and bake for 20 minutes. Cover edges loosely with foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

Cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate.