If you’ve never eaten a wild Maine blueberry, then you don’t know what you’re missing. Although smaller than their cultivated counterparts, Maine blueberries are juicier and more concentrated in flavor, making them superior in any application—including our favorite blueberry pie recipe, which has a crunchy, crumble-like topping and is perfectly sized for a No.8 Field Skillet.

If you can’t make it to Maine during peak harvesting season (which begins in July and runs through early December) to load up on wild blueberries, thankfully there are several places you can source them online, including Box of Maine, Maine Sweet and Wild, Alexander's, and Goldbelly.

Field Notes

1.

You can swap in your favorite pie dough recipe (or try our All-Buttah Pie Dough), but you’ll need enough dough to fill a No.8 (10 ¼-inch) Field Skillet, so we recommend scaling the recipe for a single crust up by a factor of 1.5.

2.

If you’re mixing pie dough with your fingers, make sure your butter is very cold by chilling it in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Recipe: Wild Blueberry Crumble Pie

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Instructions

1.

Make the pie crust: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk to combine. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized pieces of butter.

2.

Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and blend. If needed, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds its shape when squeezed together. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

3.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the tapioca flour, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine, then add the blueberries and gently toss.

4.

Make the topping: In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir well.

5.

Make the pie: Preheat the oven to 400°F and position a rack in the center. Roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a No.8 Field Skillet and gently pat the dough into place; it should cover the bottom and sides. Spoon the filling into the crust, then sprinkle the topping over. Place the skillet on top of a rimmed baking sheet or sheet of aluminum foil (to catch any drips) and bake until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown, about 1 hour (if the topping browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil).

6.

Transfer the skillet to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving. The pie can be made a day or two ahead; refrigerate until ready to serve.