Dean Fearing has quite a story to tell. The chef came to Dallas in 1978, everything he owned packed into a brown Celica, to work in the Pyramid Room at the Fairmont Hotel. At the time, Dallas was “a French restaurant town,” he says.
In 1981, he changed all that with the opening of Agnew’s, the first five-star American restaurant in the city. Many restaurants and cookbooks and television appearances later, he’s the most lauded chef in Dallas, and he’s still making headlines and history at his namesake restaurant, Fearing’s, at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Uptown.
In this video, the latest in the series called Dean’s Texas Cuisine, Fearing gets nostalgic about his family's Kentucky roots by making his Granny's apple pie.
He explains which variety of apples he thinks work best for a pie and walks you through what most consider the most intimidating part of baking: the dough.
Watch the video to discover Fearing's secret ingredient, then get to slicing and rolling in your own home.
Granny's apple pie
Makes 1 8-inch pie
Filling ingredients
9 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ginger
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. malt vinegar
Directions
In a bowl, combine the apples with all the dry ingredients.
Add in the malt vinegar, then set aside until the pie dough is ready.
Dough ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 stick plus 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. ice water
Directions
In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt.
Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas.
Add the ice water and pulse until the pastry is evenly moistened.
Turn it out onto a work surface and knead two or three times, just until it comes together.
Divide the pie dough in half, then roll out each dough onto a floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thick.
Spray the pie tin with non-stick agent, then place one pie dough into the pan and form by pressing it in gently.
Add the apples and cover with other piece of pie dough. Press down on the dough along the edge of the pan, use scissors to cut off any excess dough. Crimp the dough with a fork or your fingers.
Place the pie in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to set.
Egg wash the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or Sugar in the Raw. Make an "x" in the middle of the pie with a paring knife for ventilation.
Place the pie in an oven heated to 350 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the pie starts to bubble.
Just like Granny used to make.
Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography
Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography